Paralegal - Lawyers for Reporters (Non-Profit)

NYC Bar Association; New York (NY); Remote; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A legal advocacy organization is seeking a Paralegal to support the Lawyers for Reporters program. You will assist in providing pro bono legal representation and coordination efforts with legal teams. This role offers the possibility of working remotely, and applicants should have a strong interest in civil society and reporting-related legal issues.

Responsibilities

• Support Lawyers for Reporters as U.S/Canada coordinator for Reporters Shield.
• Assist in providing pro bono legal representation and advice.

Job description

Overview

Paralegal, Lawyers for Reporters and Reporters Shield
The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice/City Bar Fund

Position Reports to: Managing Attorney, Lawyers for Reporters and Director of Reporters Shield Program
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Location: New York City or remote (depending on applicant’s location)

The Vance Center advances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. The Vance Center is a unique collaboration of international lawyers catalyzing public interest innovation. A non-profit program of the New York City Bar Association, we bring together leading law firms and other partners worldwide to pioneer international justice initiatives and provide pro bono legal representation to social justice NGOs.

Program Description

The Vance Center launched Lawyers for Reporters in March 2020 to provide pro bono legal representation to early-stage local journalism and other reporting organizations in the United States. Since its launch, it has represented more than 220 clients in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

Lawyers for Reporters provides a broad range of advice and representation that news and public interest reporting entities need—from inception through establishment as functioning reporting entities. Services include corporate, transactional, employment, and taxation advice as well as newsroom-related advice. Based on the successful model of the Vance Center, Lawyers for Reporters works in tandem with lawyers at dozens of law firms around the country in various areas of expertise, all engaged on a pro bono basis. Since its launch, 290 lawyers from 36 law firms have co-counseled with Lawyers for Reporters to serve clients.

The Vance Center launched its Reporters Shield Program in November 2022 to assist Reporters Shield, an independent nonprofit organization, provide its members with certain benefits, including training, pre-publication review, and defense against SLAPPs (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation), and related content-based legal threats and claims. Lawyers for Reporters serves as the US/Canada coordinator for Reporters Shield, coordinating the engaging, monitoring, and compensation of lawyers to represent Reporters Shield members against defamation and related legal threats and claims in the United States and Canada.

The Position

The Paralegal, reporting to the Lawyers for Reporters Managing Attorney and the Reporters Shield Director, will support the Vance Center’s two related programs. The Paralegal will have primary responsibility for supporting Lawyers for Reporters in its role as U.S/Canada regional coordinator for Reporters Shield, including: