Paralegal Role at LSNYC - Legal Career in Public Interest in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
Career Development Signals: This entry-to-mid-level paralegal role at LSNYC offers genuine exposure to a wide range of legal practice areas — housing, immigration, family law, public benefits, and more — making it a strong foundation for someone pursuing a legal career. The Justice Learning Center providing free CLEs is a standout perk rarely found at this level.
Compensation Context: No salary is disclosed. NYC nonprofit paralegal roles typically range from $42,000–$58,000 annually, depending on experience and union status. LSNYC staff may be represented by a union, which could mean structured pay scales and benefits. Research LSNYC's union contract (1199SEIU or similar) for clarity.
Skills You'll Build:
- Legal intake, client screening, and triage under attorney supervision
- Case management software proficiency
- Cross-practice legal knowledge (housing, immigration, benefits)
- Client-facing communication in high-stress, high-volume environments
Green Flags: LSNYC is the largest civil legal services organization in the US — strong brand for a legal career. Meaningful mission work; structured supervision and training.
Potential Concerns: High call volume and fast-paced environment can be demanding. The role description appears truncated (qualifications cut off), so candidates should request a full job description. No salary transparency is a minor red flag. Best suited for those seriously committed to public interest law rather than a stepping stone to corporate work.
Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care.
LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country. Our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness.
LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer.
Legal Services NYC seeks one Intake Paralegal to staff the Access Line, our citywide intake hotline. Access Line paralegals perform an essential role in our agency, serving as an important front line for our work and responding in real time to low-income individuals and families seeking legal help.
Duties include:
- Answering phones and performing eligibility screening
- Entering client information into a database and writing case notes
- Giving advice under the supervision of an attorney
- Scheduling appointments and sending appointment letters and follow-up information to clients
- Providing outside referrals
- Performing off-site intake outside of regular business hours (as needed)
- Working closely with supervising attorneys across many different legal practice areas
This is a fully remote position.
Qualifications include:
- Excellent, consistent writing and interpersonal communication skills — especially the ability to interview and identify a client's needs quickly and accurately, while actively listening with empathy and curiosity
- Excellent communication habits that are consistently prompt and responsive
- Excellent organizational skills, particularly regarding prioritizing and following through on tasks
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly structured, high-volume work environment while maintaining quality standards
- Consistent ability to pay close attention to detail and follow directions, both written and oral
- Excellent, consistent computer skills — including case management software, Word, and email — and comfort with learning new programs
- Motivation and enthusiasm for helping communities in need, and ability to work with people from a range of backgrounds, including low-income clients and LSNYC staff
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