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Paralegal – Education Unit

The Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts (JCSM), a subsidiary of South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS), a non-profit legal services program providing free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income and elder residents, seeks to hire a paralegal to work with a collaborative, supportive, and dynamic education unit located in downtown Brockton, MA. The education practice seeks systemic change in the larger school districts in our region and represents vulnerable students to ensure they are not excluded from educational opportunities or directed away from those opportunities due to disability, a language barrier, race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or poverty. The team will identify and challenge underlying education policies and practices that contribute to the denial of access to a quality education, resulting in low-expectations, ineffective instruction, and inadequate interventions.

The Organization:

SCCLS and its subsidiary, the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts (JCSM), with a combined staff of nearly 100, are the principal providers of free, civil legal aid to low-income residents of Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. SCCLS’s law offices are located in Brockton, Hyannis, New Bedford and Fall River. The Justice Center is located in Brockton and provides service across the region. Our core mission is to achieve justice for eligible clients through community-based advocacy. The organization prioritizes legal services in: housing, public benefits, elder law, domestic relations, employment, education, immigration, and consumer matters.

Responsibilities:

  • Focus on case management: collecting and organizing school records, interviewing clients, representing students in school discipline matters and other case work with attorney supervision;
  • Assist with community education and outreach;
  • Participate in special education team meetings and impact advocacy projects;
  • Aid unit in receiving and providing internal referrals to and from other in-house teams;
  • Engage in continuous learning in education law;
  • Participate in other program activities to support the education practice and to further organizational goals and mission as directed by the Supervising Attorney.

 Competencies/Qualifications:                                                                                                                

  • Lived or professional experience with, or demonstrated commitment to, diverse communities, including individuals who may have experienced poverty, trauma or discrimination;
  • Strong organizational, time management and case management skills, including strong attention to detail;
  • Strong oral and written communication skills; strong interpersonal skills;
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team; flexible and adaptable;
  • Proficiency or ability to learn legal case management systems and Microsoft Office Suite;
  • Commitment to race equity, anti-racism and economic justice in the workplace and in the provision of legal services;
  • Paralegal Certificate or Bachelor’s degree preferred;
  • Fluency in a language reflecting our client populations preferred (e.g. Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, K’iche’, Vietnamese, Khmer, Spanish, Portuguese);
  • Prior education law or k-12 public school system work experience preferred.

 Compensation and Benefits:

JCSM salaries are based on a collective bargaining agreement scale starting at $52,100 with no years of experience, with yearly standard increases, and an additional increment for demonstrated language skills. Benefits package:  robust health and dental with supplemental coverage, life insurance, disability, flexible spending account, and 403(b).  Generous paid leave including sick, vacation, personal and holidays. JCSM is currently operating with a hybrid work model.

Apply: 

For full consideration, submit a letter of interest and resume to LThelin@sccls.org with subject: JCSM Paralegal — EDU. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

South Coastal Counties Legal Services and its subsidiary are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of age, class, color, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender, national origin, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We strive to foster a healthy, inclusive environment where all staff, clients, and community members are valued, empowered and recognized.