PARALEGAL
LOCATION
Minneapolis
DEPARTMENT
Legal
DEADLINE DATE
Oct. 1, 2019The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota is looking for a Paralegal to join our team! The Paralegal will be a dynamic professional who is looking for a meaningful opportunity in a proven and vibrant organization that makes profound differences in the lives of individuals. Our mission is timely, our staff is committed to protecting civil liberties, and we are poised to succeed, with a growing community of more than 30,000 donors and members. At the ACLU of Minnesota, we take pride in our reputation of more than 65 years of fighting the hard fight for people whose civil liberties are threatened or denied. And now — as we enlarge our staff to face the current threats to our civil liberties — is the ideal time to join us! Reporting to the Legal Director, the Paralegal will assist the Legal Director in efficiently running the ACLU of Minnesota’s legal program, which includes litigation support for staff attorneys, day-to-day management of legal intake and requests for assistance, and other administrative and clerical tasks. The Paralegal will oversee legal intake volunteers and interns. The position is based in our Minneapolis office, providing access to the best that the Twin Cities area offers. Our Paralegal will: Provide Legal Department Support by:• Filing and serving legal pleadings and other documents, such as notices, motions, briefs, exhibits and discovery.• Screening, investigating and responding to legal intake and requests for assistance.• Maintaining intake records, and creating and maintaining an updated intake database.• Working with other staff to recruit, hire, train and supervise interns and volunteers to work with intake and other projects.• Maintaining professional communication, as appropriate with clients, volunteer attorneys, opposing counsel, court reporters, government officials and court staff.• Proofreading, cite-checking, and formatting pleadings and other documents, including letters, briefsde and affidavits.• Organizing and maintaining electronic and paper legal files; creating and maintaining a shared litigation calendar; managing the legal department’s recordkeeping and data collection.• Managing document discovery and summarizing depositions.• Collecting and analyzing statistical data.• Conducting Internet and other factual research or investigation and assisting attorneys with legal and other research.• Assisting with client and witness interviews.• Providing other administrative support for the legal department and cooperating volunteer attorneys. Our new Paralegal will have these essential attributes:• At least three years of experience working within a legal environment, including experience as a paralegal, legal assistant or secretary, or handling administrative support work in a law office or comparable legal setting. Paralegal certificate desirable, but not required.• Excellent writing, editing, formatting and proofreading skills, with careful attention to detail.• General familiarity and comfort with the basics of legal terminology, the legal process, and procedures for filing and serving litigation documents in federal and state court. Some form of prior experience with litigation support, including discovery, motion practice and formatting briefs, is preferred. Civil rights experience is helpful.• Basic working knowledge of Westlaw is helpful, as is any experience using our federal and state courts’ online e-filing systems.• Some experience/familiarity with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act is desired.• Ability to organize and maintain legal files, physically and electronically.• Must be comfortable with frequent client contact, protecting clients’ best interests, maintaining confidentiality, and other ethical duties of the legal profession.• Excellent time management and organizational skills, including an ability to maintain focus and manage workflow in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment while juggling competing priorities and assignments from multiple attorneys.• Proficiency with computers, including Microsoft Windows, Word, Outlook and related office software. Ability to master new software such as an intake database or case management program.• Ability to handle day-to-day legal intake and supervise legal intake interns and volunteers.• Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to work with a diverse clientele. Patience, sensitivity and empathy are critical.• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance. Finally, our Paralegal will bring a commitment to the mission and goals of the ACLU of Minnesota, along with a personal dedication to a professional team that will bring us into our next 65 years as Minnesota’s guardian of liberty. COMPENSATION:Salary is commensurate with experience within the range of $42,000 and $52,000 per year. We offer excellent benefits, including health insurance, life and long-term disability insurance; a 401(k) plan with employer contribution; and sick, vacation and holiday leave. Are You Ready to Help Lead Us into the Future?TO APPLY:Please click here to submit your application. Submit a letter of interest, resume or C.V., and three professional references, identifying their relationship to you and including their email addresses and phone numbers. Applications will be accepted only until Oct. 1, 2019. If this job sounds interesting, please apply immediately! ACLU-MN is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. ACLU-MN encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or record of arrest or conviction. ACLU-MN undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact: sheil@aclu-mn.org. (Correspondence sent to this email address that is not related to requests for accommodations will not be reviewed.)