Arraignment Paralegal — NYC Criminal Defense 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

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.