Paralegal

Description

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel operates seven legal projects:
Child, Youth & Family Advocacy, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Gender Justice, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law.

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of approximately 160. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities. We recognize the essential role of staff in achieving our goals, and we have set a long‑term intention to provide competitive compensation, benefits, training, mentorship, and overall workplace wellness, making Public Counsel a leader among nonprofit law firms.

Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project (HPLP) serves individuals who are at high risk of becoming homeless or are currently unhoused. HPLP assists unrepresented low‑income litigants in unlawful detainer (eviction) actions, and provides pre‑litigation counsel and advice to tenants who are involved in a landlord‑tenant dispute. HPLP also provides pro bono representation to homeless individuals and families to help remove legal barriers to obtaining permanent housing.

In addition, we run several community clinics to connect low‑income Angelenos with free legal advice, and provide educational workshops in collaboration with community‑based organizations.

In addition to our homelessness prevention and anti‑displacement efforts, our recent work includes:

• Supporting local tenants in their successful efforts to obtain and preserve COVID‑related eviction protections;
• Working with community‑based organizations to provide know‑your‑rights presentations and workshops to tenants on new and constantly‑changing housing laws;
• Teaming up with other non‑profit legal services providers, tenant organizers and community‑based organizations throughout Los Angeles County to push forward the implementation of a Right to Counsel for all tenants in eviction proceedings.

Reporting to the Shriver Program Manager, the Shriver Paralegal is a full‑time position, based primarily at Public Counsel’s main office at 610 S. Ardmore. The position may involve some off‑site work in other parts of Los Angeles County for client home visits and assistance in court.

The Paralegal will work in Public Counsel’s Shriver Housing Project team within the Homelessness Prevention Law Project. The Shriver Housing Project is a pilot project authorized under the Shriver Civil Counsel Act (AB 590) to demonstrate the benefits of providing counsel to litigants in high‑stakes civil litigation such as the possible loss of housing. Although not a pure civil Gideon project, the Shriver Housing Project assists thousands of low‑income litigants in unlawful detainer (eviction) actions each year.

Public Counsel’s Shriver team provides full‑scope eviction defense representation to tenants whose cases are filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. The team also provides some limited counsel and advice to tenants with other housing issues.

The Paralegal will support the work of the Shriver team attorneys in collaboration with the Shriver Program Manager, Supervising Staff Attorney, and other members of the team.

This is a full‑time position that will involve the full breadth of civil litigation activities, administrative work, grant reporting, meeting with clients, and assisting with trial preparation. The position has the following responsibilities:

• Serve as…