Mobilization for Justice (MFJ), a non-profit legal services organization that provides a wide
range of free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers, is seeking a paralegal/legal
services assistant to work with a team of lawyers and paralegals to preserve decent and
affordable housing for poor and working poor tenants through eviction defense, affirmative
litigation, anti-harassment work and policy advocacy. The paralegal will be part of a team that
represents tenants in Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn Housing Court, state Supreme Court,
federal court, and administrative proceedings. The paralegal will be seated in our Manhattan
office.
MFJ’s mission is to achieve social justice, prioritizing the needs of people who are low-income,
disenfranchised or have disabilities as they struggle to overcome the effects of social injustice
and systemic racism. We do this by providing the highest quality direct civil legal assistance,
conducting community education, building partnerships, engaging in policy advocacy, and
bringing impact litigation. MFJ is a 165+ person staff comprised of attorneys, paralegals, social
workers, and support staff. MFJ promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace, and
understands the need to eliminate all racial disparities to achieve justice for all. It is a diverse,
unionized, and collegial workplace where staff share the organization’s mission to achieve social
justice, prioritizing the needs of people who are low-income, disenfranchised or have disabilities.
The paralegal will be responsible for providing litigation support to a busy team of attorneys and,
when appropriate, for representing clients in administrative proceedings. Litigation support
encompasses a wide range of duties, including, among other things, engaging in case
development; preparing and prosecuting housing subsidy and public assistance applications;
conducting client intake and follow-up; and assisting clients with benefits advocacy. Additional
duties include conducting intakes in a variety of forums and via telephone and other electronic
means; assessing potential clients and providing legal guidance with the assistance of attorneys;
staffing on- and off-site clinics; and engaging in community education and outreach and
building-wide advocacy support. Occasional evening and weekend outreach may be necessary.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Providing attorneys with case development and litigation support.
• Communicating with clients.
• Engaging in benefits advocacy.
• Staffing offsite legal clinics.
• Representing clients in administrative hearings.
• Conducting client intake in person, on the telephone, or virtually and at our offices or outside the office, including in court, at community-based organizations, at the offices of elected officials, etc.
• Providing advice, counsel, and brief services to tenants seeking assistance in housing and government benefits and other matters and assisting pro se tenants bring actions to enforce housing standards and tenancy rights.
• Conducting outreach and education to other community-based organizations, service providers, and government agencies.
• Organizing and facilitating tenant meetings, usually at community-based organizations or out in the field.
• Creating and updating community educational and training materials.
• Preparing and presenting testimony to administrative agencies and legislative bodies.
• Inputting and maintaining detailed records in office database.

Requirements:

• College degree.
• Experience working with low-income communities.
• Fluency in Spanish or another language spoken by MFJ’s client population strongly preferred.
• Experience with community-based organizing and/or advocacy strongly preferred.
• Well-organized and capable of managing competing responsibilities.
• Willing to see clients and organize and conduct trainings, clinics, and tenant meetings throughout New York City, sometimes outside of usual business hours.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.

Salary is pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement and cannot be negotiated individually.
The salary range for this position is $53,033.14 - $91,687.27.
Applicants should submit cover letter, resume and writing samples addressed to Elise Brown,
Director of Housing Litigation, and transmit by e-mail to recruitment@mfjlegal.org with “Legal
Services Assistant (Paralegal)” in the subject line. We encourage all applicants to include in
their cover letter a statement about how their background or experience might contribute to the
diversity and perspective of our office. Applications must be received by March 10, 2023. Early
applications are appreciated, and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. No telephone
calls please.
For information about Mobilization for Justice, please go to www.mobilizationforjustice.org.
MFJ IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color,
sex, gender, age, religion, national origin, citizen status, marital status, physical or mental
disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. BIPOC, women, people with
disabilities, and LBGTQIA+ candidates are encouraged to apply.

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