Paralegal

$47,203 - $66,052/Yr

City of New York - New York, NY

Full-time - Entry Level

New York, NY

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the country, dedicated to combating municipal corruption. The DOI serves the people of New York City by acting as an independent and nonpartisan watchdog for the City government, City agencies, City employees, vendors with City contracts, and individuals or entities that receive City funds. The General Counsel Unit of DOI is seeking a Paralegal to provide essential administrative and legal support to the office. This role is crucial in ensuring the smooth operation of legal processes and supporting the attorneys in their investigative work. As a Paralegal, the selected candidate will be responsible for a variety of tasks that include processing Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, conducting legal and investigative research, drafting legal documents and memoranda, preparing meeting agendas, and writing minutes. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, highly organized, detail-oriented, and possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. This position is suitable for a recent college graduate, someone with some paralegal experience, or a well-organized individual looking to support attorneys in an investigative agency. The role requires a commitment to maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information with discretion. The Paralegal will also be involved in maintaining the FOIL database, tracking deadlines, searching for and reviewing responsive records, coordinating with appropriate squads for responses, and communicating with requesters as needed. Additional responsibilities include providing administrative support to attorneys, performing data entry, mail merges, copying, scanning, filing, and other tasks to support attorney case work and organizational efforts. The candidate must be prepared to perform other tasks and assignments as directed by the attorneys. If selected, the candidate will be fingerprinted and undergo a background investigation.

Responsibilities

• Process FOIL requests, including maintaining the FOIL database and tracking deadlines, searching for and reviewing responsive records, coordinating with the appropriate squads for responses, and communicating with requesters as needed.
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda.
• Draft legal documents.
• Provide administrative support to attorneys, such as preparing presentations.
• Perform data entry, mail merges, copying, scanning, filing and other tasks to support attorney case work and other organizational efforts.
• Perform other tasks and assignments as directed.

Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; or an associate degree or completion of 60 semester credits from an accredited college and two years of full-time satisfactory experience in paralegal services; or a four-year high school diploma and four years of full-time satisfactory experience in paralegal services; or a satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to the above.
• Paralegal Certification obtained in the United States from an accredited program or from a program approved by the American Bar Association can be substituted for 12 months of experience.
• Experience in paralegal services must have involved the American Legal System.

Nice-to-haves

• Excellent verbal, written and professional interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with a high level of attention to detail.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to appropriately handle legal issues, highly sensitive documents, privileged and confidential information.
• Able to meet competing deadlines and maintain the flexibility to shift priorities quickly, effectively and with accuracy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (e.g. Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint), Adobe Acrobat Professional software, and a variety of online resources.
• At least one year of experience working with attorneys in a legal assistant, paralegal, or project management position is preferred.

Benefits

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs.