Legal and Administrative Assistant (Bilingual - Spanish/English)

Legal and Administrative Assistant (Bilingual – Spanish/English)

At DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF), we believe everyone deserves access to justice and that income should not be a barrier to a family’s receipt of high-quality legal representation. DCALF was founded in 2015 with the mission of providing high quality, affordable legal services to DC residents who earn low wages and cannot afford representation by private attorneys. DCALF fills a sizeable void in the District’s civil legal services landscape as the only nonprofit legal service provider in the District of Columbia centered on the family law, probate, estate planning, and immigration needs of the more than 125,000 hardworking DC residents living two-to-four times above the Federal Poverty Level. Additionally, DCALF is a partner in the Family Law Assistance Network (“FLAN”), an initiative providing limited-scope family law representation and legal assistance to pro se litigants from lower-income households. DCALF is part of an innovative access to justice movement seeking to close the civil justice gap and enhance equitable access to counsel. We are fiercely dedicated to leveling the playing field and ensuring historically underserved clients are able to tackle some of life’s most daunting legal issues with a lawyer by their side.

Overview: DCALF seeks a full-time bilingual Legal and Administrative Assistant with relevant prior experience to support our team of twelve attorneys and provide administrative assistance to support DCALF’s office management and operations. The selected candidate is adept at building relationships with persons from diverse backgrounds, has a strong sense of empathy, organization, and professionalism, is able to work independently to meet time-sensitive deliverables, and is committed to supporting our organization’s race equity initiatives. This position will not start until
February 2022.

Case Management and Client Communications (70–80%)

• Promptly answer incoming calls, take messages, and regularly monitor general DCALF email account;
• Conduct intake/conflict reports of potential clients in English and Spanish, screen clients for eligibility for services, and provide referrals when appropriate;
• Provide legal support for nine full-time case handling attorneys, including: Interpretation and translation to and from Spanish for client meetings, phone calls, correspondence, documents, court and government submissions, and hearings/interviews;
• Assist with case management system data entry, as needed; and
• Assist with case file preparation as needed.

Office Management/Administrative Responsibilities (20–30%)

• Assist with internal office operations, including ordering supplies, monitoring supply inventory, mail processing and organization of physical office files;
• Work with the Executive Director on administrative tasks as needed;
• Maintain social media presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube;
• Assist with distribution and collection of employee paperwork as needed;
• Be available to come into the office for a minimum of one day/week.

Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish required (oral and written communication), fluency/proficiency in other languages is a plus.

Proficient in IT; familiarity with Microsoft Office, document management software, etc.

• Experience conducting trauma-informed interpretation
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task
• Highly organized, detail-oriented and able to work in a fast-paced environment
• Experience providing administrative support
• Ability to manage highly-sensitive, confidential information
• Strong customer service, cultural competency, and interpersonal skills
• 1-2 years of legal assistant, intake specialist, or paralegal experience preferred.

Compensation

• Salary will range from $46,000-$48,000 annually, consistent with experience. DCALF offers a 401(K) retirement plan, medical insurance, elective dental and vision insurance options, and paid vacation, sick, holiday, family and medical leave.

COVID-19 Considerations
Vaccine Requirement
DCALF staff must be fully vaccinated and comply with all CDC-booster recommendations as a condition of employment, unless allowed an accommodation consistent with applicable law. Proof of vaccination is required for employment.

DCALF staff are currently working under a hybrid remote/in-person model. This model is subject to change and staff may be required to return to office full-time.

The incoming Legal and Administrative Assistant will be required to come into the office a minimum of one day/week to fulfill office management responsibilities, citywide conditions permitting. The ideal candidate for this position should maintain residence in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia to facilitate ease of access to DCALF’s physical office.

Application Process

• Please submit a cover letter, resume, one-page Spanish writing sample, and list of three references pursuant to instructions on our website. Please submit all materials via email with the subject line “ Legal and Administrative Assistant, [First and Last Name].” No calls will be accepted regarding this posting. Please note that applications will not be reviewed prior to mid-January 2022.

DC Affordable Law Firm is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal opportunity to applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibility, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, or other classification protected by law.

WWW.DCAFFORDABLELAW.ORG

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $46,000.00 - $48,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

COVID-19 considerations:
Vaccine Requirement
DCALF staff must be fully vaccinated and comply with all CDC-booster recommendations as a condition of employment, unless allowed an accommodation consistent with applicable law. Proof of vaccination is required for employment.

Work Location: One location