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Paralegal

Website LifeSpanIL Life Span

Life Span is seeking to fill one paralegal position based at the Chicago office. Life Span empowers survivors of domestic and sexual violence to demand safety as a human right through client-centered services and leads social change through accountability, community engagement, and systemic advocacy.
Life Span is a nationally known leader in the provision of services to victims of violence and their children. We are a financially secure organization with over 40 years of consistent and reliable funding. Our comprehensive services include criminal court advocacy, representation in civil protective order cases, expert representation in family law cases, immigration services and counseling for survivors and their children. Our work encompasses such issues as police domestic violence, immigration, employment issues, sexual assault civil no contact orders, the effects of trauma on clients and their children, teen dating violence, and the criminalization of survivors. Our agency has two sites, and services are available in nine languages including English, Spanish, Polish and Arabic. All services are free of charge. Our agency provides national leadership in policy work and systemic advocacy, and our staff has trained advocates, lawyers, judges, counselors and other professionals in Illinois and across the country on critical issues and innovative practices.
Life Span values diversity—in strengths, backgrounds and lived experiences. It is essential that our staff and leadership reflect the communities that we serve. We are committed to creating an anti-oppression framework and seek candidates who share this commitment.
General Job Description: Assist victims of domestic and sexual violence who seek civil legal representation and/or criminal court advocacy and provide paralegal support and additional assistance to attorneys as needed.

Job Duties:

• Conduct client intake interviews.
• Complete prescreens and intakes in Legal Server.
• Explain Life Span services and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act to clients and help them form a plan of action based on their options under the law.
• Explain domestic relations and immigration legal remedies available to clients.
• Provide clients with referrals to other needed services.
• Maintain case files.
• Maintain complete client statistics and submit as required by Life Span administration on a timely basis.
• Accompany clients and attorneys to court.
• Translate written documents and interpret at client interviews and to assist clients in court.
• Attend and participate in trainings and outreach as assigned.
• Assist attorneys with document preparation.
• Assist with main line calls, provide Life Span information, screen and direct calls

Qualifications:
Bachelor of Arts Degree &/or Paralegal Certificate. Fluent bi-lingual Spanish language skills required. Commitment to working in the not-for-profit/public interest sector; prior experience in working in a social service agency or with domestic violence victims are helpful.

Please send resume and cover letter via email at hiring@life-span.org
No Telephone Calls.

To apply for this job email your details to hiring@life-span.org