Paralegal

Maryland Legal Aid; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Maryland Legal Aid seeks a paralegal for its Tenant Right to Counsel Project in Frederick, MD, to support eviction-prevention work and housing justice initiatives.

The role involves interviewing renters, assisting TRCP staff attorneys, drafting pleadings, and coordinating with community partners to uphold affordable housing and equity for Marylanders facing displacement.

Qualifications

• Paralegal role focused on housing justice and eviction prevention.
• Experience or interest in public interest law and community outreach.
• Ability to interview renters, prepare court materials, and assist with TRCP tasks.

Responsibilities

• Support tenants through TRCP by interviewing renters and preparing filings.
• Collaborate with staff attorneys to advocate for housing stability.
• Engage with communities to reduce eviction risks and promote affordable housing.

Job description

Description

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) advocates with and for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services, community collaboration, and systemic change.

Since 1911, Maryland Legal Aid has provided high-quality legal aid to vulnerable, low-income people and communities - helping to remedy their civil legal issues and become empowered to overcome challenges, achieve stability and independence, and reach their goals. MLA's core work includes eviction and foreclosure prevention, family law, children's rights, consumer protection, securing public benefits, and access to healthcare. MLA advocates operate primarily through the courts, via individual representation of indigent clients, but also engage in impact litigation, public communication and outreach, and policy advocacy.

Through this holistic approach, Maryland Legal Aid serves to amplify the voices of tens of thousands of economically disadvantaged and vulnerable Marylanders each year and seeks to be a leader in the legal services field nationwide.

Job Summary

MLA is committed to ensuring legal representation for all Marylanders facing eviction or forced displacement. Since its inception in October 2022, MLA's Tenant Right to Counsel Project (TRCP) has represented over 1,600 households. Now, operating across the state, TRCP seeks to hire one paralegal in the Midwestern Maryland office, located in Frederick, MD, who is passionate about public interest law and social justice and wants to work closely with communities burdened by systemic socioeconomic barriers to prevent eviction and homelessness.

Housing insecurity was endemic in Maryland even before the massive economic and social disruptions that marked the COVID-19 pandemic. As the uneven economic recovery disparately impacts the communities MLA represents, our legal services are as critical now as ever to preventing evictions, fighting unfair rental practices, and preserving affordable housing.

TRCP staff attorneys work at the front line of Maryland's housing justice movement, interviewing renters by phone and at court on their day of trial, and engaging them through grassroots outreach. TRCP is building a committed, colleg