Arraignment Paralegal, Manhattan Trial Office

The Legal Aid Society; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Legal Aid Society seeks an Arraignment Paralegal I in its Manhattan Trial Office to provide client services for criminal defense. The role involves courthouse parts, liaising with attorneys and clients, and assisting with case management in LawManager.

Coverage includes Sunday 8:30 am–4:30 pm, Mon–Wed 5 pm–1 am, and Fri 5 pm–1 am, with flexibility as caseload requires. The position emphasizes advocacy for low-income clients and teamwork in a public defender setting.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED or 2+ years of work experience.
• Advocacy for low-income clients is preferred.
• 1 year of legal or relevant work experience (paid or unpaid).
• Fluency in a second language common to client population preferred.
• Some paralegal training or college coursework preferred.
• Work in office, courtroom, and field settings.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proficient computer/word processing skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team; multi-task.

Responsibilities

• Gathers client information for attorneys in courthouse parts.
• Interacts with clients and families, providing case information.
• Accesses court records and assists attorneys.
• Records case information manually or electronically.
• Conducts criminal history and conflicts checks.
• Prepares written/electronic reports summarizing information.
• Obtains and copies court and office files.
• Assembles court files and materials for attorneys.
• Liaises between attorneys and clients.
• Scans and uploads criminal court files into LAS databases.

Skills

Independent worker

Team player

Excellent interpersonal skills

Excellent communication skills

Proficient word processing

Multi-tasking

Liaison skills

Education

High school diploma / GED

Paralegal training

College-level coursework

Tools

LawManager

Job description

Arraignment Paralegal, Manhattan Trial Office

#26-99

New York, New York, United States

Deadline is 3:00 PM EST for Date Listed

Oct 15, 2026

Job Description

The Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal Aid Society has one opening for Arraignment Paralegal I in its New York County office to provide client services. Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender in New York City, providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 200,000 people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges. The Arraignment Paralegal will provide coverage in the Manhattan trial office, Sunday (8:30 am – 4:30 pm), Monday to Wednesday (5 pm – 1:00 am), Friday (5 pm – 1:00 am) or whenever all LAS assigned cases are entered in our case management system (LawManager).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work in a courthouse court part gathering client information for the attorneys
• Interact with clients and assist their families by providing case related information
• Access information from court records and assist attorneys
• Record case information using manual or electronic means
• Conduct criminal history and conflicts checks following established protocol
• Prepare written and electronic reports summarizing information complied
• Obtain and copy court and office files
• Assemble court files and materials for attorneys
• Liaison between attorneys and their clients
• Scanning and uploading criminal court files into LAS databases

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Eligible candidates must have at least one of the following:
  • A high school diploma / GED
  • At least 2 years of work experience
• Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people is strongly desired
• One year of experience in a legal or other relevant work (paid or unpaid) environment
• Fluency in a second language common to our client population preferred
• Some relevant college-level work and/or paralegal training preferred
• Position may require work in office, courtroom, and other "field" settings
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Proficient computer and word processing skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting
• Ability to multi-task

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range representsa good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

Location

Manhattan - Criminal Defense Practice Office