About NLS:
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS) provides a full range of free civil legal representation to people challenged by poverty and disability who reside in Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties in matters involving financial security, health and basic quality of life. With three offices located in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Batavia, NLS aims to create the greatest access to the justice system for low-income individuals and those living with disabilities to pursue goals that will increase both the stability and the quality of their lives.
NLS provides counsel and advice; brief service; administrative and trial court representation; appellate representation; community legal education; pro se materials; training and technical support for pro-bono attorneys; web-based legal information materials; technical support for community advocacy agencies; written advocacy and legal information manuals; litigation co-counseling; and training and support for law students and other volunteers. NLS also has longstanding collaborative relationships with other agencies, which enhance services to the communities that NLS serves.
NLS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply, including veterans and persons with disabilities. Employer recruits without regard to sex, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and any such candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
These positions are partly remote due to COVID-19 concerns. Local work-related travel will resume once it is safe to do so.
Staff Paralegals:
NLS seeks to hire four (4) Paralegals for our Public Benefits, Housing, Family Law and Disability units. Paralegals are generally responsible for supporting attorneys, counsel and advice, case management, intake, and community education. Must be able to apply laws to facts of presenting cases, aggressively advocate for clients before governmental agencies and represent clients at administrative hearings.
The Public Benefits Unit Paralegal is for Health Insurance Navigator to advise consumers on eligibility public health insurance programs like Medicaid and Child Health Plus, enroll consumers into public and/or private health coverage through the NYSoH Marketplace, help consumers choose appropriate qualified health plans, schedule and maintain appointments with eligible consumers, meet productivity and quality performance targets, and conduct community outreach.
The Disability Unit Paralegal is for a Benefits Advisor to work with the unit’s work incentives counseling team. The Benefits Advisor will carry a caseload of SSI and Social Security disability beneficiaries who are working or expecting to work in the near future, interview clients; and provide a comprehensive written analysis of how work will affect cash benefits, Medicaid, and/or Medicare and how to access various work incentives. A certification in work incentives counseling is required or must be obtained following a 5-day training program. If selected for the position, the person will also have to go through a security clearance process through the Social Security Administration.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree with 0-3 years of experience; Excellent communication and writing skills; Sensitivity to the needs of financially disadvantaged and disabled persons; Previous experience working with low-income and/or underserved communities preferred; Second language fluency preferred; and Legal services background, or knowledge of general civil legal work.
To Apply: Send cover letter, resume and at least 3 references to HR@nls.org. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. No phone calls please. |
