Paralegal

Paralegal

Food & Water Watch is looking for a Paralegal to join our legal team, Food & Water Justice. The Paralegal will support Food & Water Justice’s broad and creative docket of litigation, regulatory advocacy, and legal support for numerous grassroots campaigns to protect our food, water, and climate.

About Food & Water Watch:

Food & Water Watch is working to create a healthy future for all people and generations to come—a world where everyone has food they can trust, clean drinking water and a livable climate. Making this happen requires involving people in the pressing issues of our time at the local, state and federal level, building on one win after another, as we develop a larger movement that has the political power to make our democratic process work.

About the position:

The Paralegal will report to the Legal Director and will work closely with Food & Water Watch’s five attorneys and collaborate with other staff on the organizing, policy, research, and communications teams to support Food & Water Watch’s work. The Paralegal will provide paralegal, administrative, and research support to the team’s attorneys in a fast-paced, dynamic, and supportive working environment. The position is full-time and remote. Applicants without paralegal or litigation experience or qualifications will not be considered.

Salary: $50,800 – $64,700, depending on experience and location

Location: Remote

Responsibilities:

• Prepare legal documents. Assist in preparation of documents, including: creating tables of contents and authorities for briefs; preparation and indexing of administrative records and appendices/excerpts of record; and conducting proofreading, formatting, and cite checking using Lexis and Bluebook.
• Assist with docket management. Assist with filing and serving legal documents in multiple jurisdictions and maintaining legal dockets, including ensuring compliance with court rules in a variety of state and federal jurisdictions, e-filing, making courtesy copies, corresponding by phone with Clerks’ offices, and calendar management for administrative actions and court filings.
• Manage litigation documents. Assist with discovery and administrative record management, including collecting, organizing, and reviewing discovery productions and responses and reviewing administrative record documents.
• Conduct research. Perform online research and assist with drafting comment letters.
• Manage public records. Manage Freedom of Information Act and state public records law requests and assist with review of responses.
• Maintain legal filing system. Lead maintenance of a shared legal filing system and resource library, including updating of court rules and reference material.
• Write to inspire action. Assist in drafting and maintaining Food & Water Watch’s legal website content and other public-facing materials about our legal work.
• Provide administrative support. Conduct administrative tasks, including: assistance with preparation and materials for events such as public presentations and hearings; planning and handling of internal and external meetings, travel, and conference arrangements; and supporting intern recruitment and hiring.
• Build Food & Water Watch for the long haul. Participate in development-related tasks as needed.
• Carry out other projects as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• A self-starting team player with a positive attitude and a passion for working to achieve Food & Water Watch’s mission.
• A university degree.
• A minimum of one year of experience in a litigation or research environment.
• Ability to cite check legal authorities for substance and format, assist with federal court filings via ECF and PACER, make tables in legal briefs, create appendices, and decipher court rules.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Strong organizational skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Intermediate or higher skills with Adobe Pro and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong communication skills and willingness to be flexible to facilitate working with attorneys in time zones throughout the country.
• Ability and willingness to complete legal secretarial tasks.
• An ability to multi-task efficiently.
• A strong work ethic, desire to be part of a dynamic and motivated team, and a demonstrated commitment to environmental protection.
• Commitment to Food & Water Watch’s core values of justice, human dignity, fair treatment, and equity.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse racial, ethnic, class, age, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds.
• Ability to work remotely using basic online programs, including email, Slack, and Google docs.

Desired but not required skills and experience:

• Paralegal certificate preferred, but significant experience as a paralegal, legal assistant, or significant legal expertise is acceptable in lieu of a paralegal certificate.

Compensation: $50,800 – $64,700 annually, dependent upon experience and location.

Food & Water Watch provides an excellent benefits package for full-time employees. This includes 100% employer-paid health, dental and vision plans for staff; 403b retirement plans with employer contribution once eligible; 12 weeks paid parental leave; 3 weeks vacation for new employees; 12 sick days and 5 personal days; paid federal holidays and winter break (December 24 – January 1).

This position is a bargaining unit position covered under a contract between Food & Water Watch and the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). FLSA Status dependent upon salary and location.

Click here to apply. Please include your resume, cover letter, writing sample, and three professional references to be considered. Position open until filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

We will review your application and if we feel that your knowledge, skills and abilities are potentially a good match for our organization, we will be in contact with you.

Food & Water Watch is an equal opportunity employer who encourages applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other members of underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Food & Water Watch (FWW) is committed to the health and safety of its staff members. Moreover, FWW, as an organization, promotes science-based policy. Science clearly shows that unvaccinated populations drive the spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of new variants, and that unvaccinated people are more likely to contract COVID and experience severe symptoms. Effective immediately, prospective new staff members are required to provide proof of vaccination or request a waiver as a condition of their offer of employment.