Paralegal

ORGANIZATION

Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization celebrating its 50th year in 2025 as the nation’s oldest cross-disability rights advocacy organization. Our mission is to champion the rights of people with disabilities through education, advocacy, and litigation. The DRLC strives to bring high-impact cases in administrative, state, and federal court. These cases impact the lives and conditions for many similarly situated people.

Under the supervision of the Director of Litigation the Paralegal will assist DRLC’s litigation team by providing administrative, legal, and research support including document management, interviewing clients, interviewing witnesses, research, investigations, fact checking, and trial preparation.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Legal Support
  • Provide the litigation team with administrative and litigation support with exceptional attention to detail.
  • Draft and format legal documents including routine pleadings, motions, affidavits, subpoenas, discovery, proposed orders, and interrogatories.
  • Able to create table of authorities and table of contents.
  • Draft and format day-to-day correspondence, such as releases of information, demand letters, and emails.
  • Responsible for meticulously maintaining case files and ensuring best practices, clearly organizing files, and ensuring easily accessible files.
  • Prepare, organize, store, and retrieve case files, which may include evidence, exhibits, depositions, pleadings, exhibits, and other items.
  • Responsible for properly filing and serving court and legal documents within State and Federal Court and upon opposing counsel, including motions, pleadings, and other legal filings. Able to research rules and processes to ensure compliance with all legal and judicial requirements.
  • Coordinate, review, analyze, and synthesize documents and respond to discovery requests.
  • Research and analyze statutes, regulations, legal articles, judicial decisions, and other legal sources; provide written analysis to attorneys.
  • Summarize deposition, trial transcripts, documents, and exhibits.
  • Meet with attorneys, clients, and other professionals to discuss assigned cases and projects.
  • Independently and with attorney assistance, interview clients and witnesses and prepare statement summaries.
  • Assist attorneys with trial preparation including organizing exhibits, witness binders, and appendices for depositions and court filings. Help attorneys during trials and hearings.
  • Work with law clerks and volunteers.
• Administrative Support
  • Develop and maintain records regarding billable hours spent on specific cases.
  • Create and run attorney productivity billing reports and other case related reports.
  • Create and run grant related reports in collaboration with the Director of Development.
  • Organize and manage documents in SharePoint. This includes creating spreadsheets.
  • Maintain case management database and case calendar for litigation team.
  • Calendar events between attorneys, staff, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and others.
  • Help maintain a database of clerk and volunteer activities and assignments.
  • Other administrative tasks such as interpretation, copying, and printing.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, flexibility, and good humor.
• Strong work ethic & resourceful.
• Understand legal language and principles, research methods, court pleadings and processes, and other related matters.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, and to exercise discretion and good judgment.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and to initiate and follow through on work independently.
• Ability to perform multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize workload and assignments.
• Investigative mind and strong research skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, and other necessary software.
• Working knowledge of legal database software.
• Experience preparing legal reports.
• Ability to work weekends and evenings.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited program preferred, or a combination of education and/or experience.
• 2-3 years of significant and substantive litigation experience as a paralegal/legal assistant in a legal services/non-profit setting.
• Experience drafting, cite-checking, and correcting legal briefs (trial and appellate).
• Experience managing medium-to-large-scale document productions.
• Proficiency with Document Review Software.
• Working knowledge and competency with case management software.
• Proficiency with word processing and spreadsheet software.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The anticipated salary for this position is $50,000-$60,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Benefits offered include:

• Employee & dependent medical insurance HMO or PPO plan 100% employer-paid.
• Employee & dependent dental and vision insurance 100% employer paid.
• Employee life & long-term disability insurance 100% employer paid.
• Vacation Days: 15 days per year, 20 days per year beginning the 3rd year of employment, accrued every pay period.
• Health & Wellness (sick) leave: 12 days per year.
• Up to 17 days paid holidays, including Winter Break the last week of the year.
• Job-related professional development fees (including annual state bar dues and professional memberships).

Employees with federal student loan debt may be eligible to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the Department of Education. For more information, go to https://myfedloan.org/borrowers/special-programs/pslf.

TO APPLY:

Location: Hybrid/Remote

FLSA: Non-Exempt (Local Los Angeles, CA)

Type: Full time

Must be legally able to work in the United States and maintain proper work authorization throughout employment.

Applications must include resume, cover letter, and writing sample. Submit your complete application to Anabel Prudencio, Director of Administration at AP@thedrlc.org include “Paralegal” in the subject line. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. No phone calls, please. Only those applicants who are selected for an interview will receive a response.

Introductory period – A six-month introductory period will be required.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DRLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

DRLC strives for a diverse workplace. Persons with disabilities or from other historically underrepresented or disadvantaged communities are strongly encouraged to apply. We believe that a diversity of experiences, opinions, and backgrounds is fundamental to achieving our mission.