Litigation Paralegal

Summary

The Litigation Paralegal plays an important role in supporting the day-to-day work of ACLUM’s Legal department. The focus of this role is to perform administrative tasks in support of litigation and department operations, including creating tables of authorities and tables of contents for briefs; formatting, filing and serving legal documents for both federal and state courts; maintaining files and litigation calendars for assigned cases; scheduling and coordinating logistics for meetings; and helping to maintain the department’s filing structures and systems. This role also supports assigned case teams by taking minutes at team and client meetings, conducting factual research, and drafting and tracking communications with clients, co-counsel, and partner organizations. This position reports to the Managing Attorney for Legal Operations and works closely with the Legal Director and other ACLUM colleagues to achieve the department’s operational objectives.

The ideal candidate for this position brings direct experience in a litigation environment, a sharp eye for detail, and skill and interest in all aspects of this job, including administrative support tasks and assisting assigned case teams. Strong candidates will have demonstrated ability to keep organized and up-to-date case files; prepare, file, and serve legal documents in both federal and state court; manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously, work well with external partners, and work both independently and collaboratively with colleagues across departments in a dynamically paced environment.

Essential Duties

Litigation Support

•

Prepare legal documents for filing, including formatting, creating tables of contents and authorities, filing electronically in federal and state court in accordance with local rules, and coordinating the production, filing, and service of paper documents, as assigned.

•

Organize, update, and maintain files and documents for assigned cases, including court filings, correspondence, discovery information, and other materials.

•

Take minutes at case team and client meetings, conduct factual research, and draft and track communications with clients, co-counsel and partner organizations.

•

Handle other litigation related administrative tasks for the Legal department, including scanning and printing case documents, preparing binders and other materials for use by attorneys, and processing incoming and outgoing mail.

•

Maintain ACLUM’s litigation calendar for assigned cases.

•

Track potentially relevant amicus opportunities from Supreme Judicial Court announcements and from requests made by outside counsel, and periodically present such opportunities at Legal department meetings.

Administrative Support

•

Calendar and arrange logistics for meetings and events hosted by the Legal department, whether conducted by conference call, video conference, or in person, including booking space, distributing invitations, preparing and assembling materials, and arranging catering.

•

Provide support for and during departmental meetings and events, including room setup, handout of materials, handling audio visual setup and functions, and coordinating and assisting in-person guests.

•

Generate reports related to legal matters for the Managing Attorney for Legal Operations and Legal Director, as assigned.

•

Maintain the Legal department’s filing structures and systems in coordination with the Managing Attorney for Legal Operations and Legal Administrator.

•

Provide backup for the Legal Administrator and Managing Attorney for Legal Operations in general administrative tasks, as needed, including processing bills and invoices, expense reports and credit card reconciliations, and requests for reimbursement, as well as other tasks to support daily operations for the department.

Program Support

•

Assist and support the Legal Resources team in non-litigation correspondence, maintaining information in the intake database, and processing requests for legal assistance, in coordination with the Legal Administrator.

•

Assist Legal and other ACLUM staff with public records requests, including monitoring and triaging ACLUM’s public records email box; tracking public records requests issued across departments; maintaining related communications and productions in the Legal department’s systems; and reviewing and summarizing public records productions, as assigned.

Other Responsibilities

•

Special projects and other tasks as assigned by the Managing Attorney for Legal Operations and the Legal Director.

Qualifications, Experience and Attributes

•

Minimum of one year’s experience handling general office administration tasks, performing document management activities, maintaining filing or organizational systems, and handling submissions per specific criteria, required. Experience in an administrative support role for a team and working in a litigation environment preferred.

•

Associate or bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience in political science, legal studies, business operations, or related field.

•

Experience preparing and handling legal files, conducting factual research, and performing other tasks in support of litigation preferred. Professional certification as a litigation paralegal a plus.

•

Knowledge of legal terminology and citation conventions, legal case management software, electronic court filing systems, and resources for legal research (e.g., Westlaw).

•

Highly proficient in data management systems, case management systems (e.g., Filevine, ALIS), and Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.

•

Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks under time pressure.

•

Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.

•

Ability to work proactively, collaboratively, and independently as needed to get things done.

•

Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or other languages a plus.

•

Strong belief in the ACLU’s mission and work to defend and strengthen civil rights and civil liberties.

•

Commitment to diversity and inclusion. Respect for differences in race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and socio-economic background.

Key Performance Indicators

•

Reliability and responsiveness in providing general administrative support to the Legal department.

•

Reliability and responsiveness in providing legal case team support.

•

Timeliness and accuracy in finalizing documents for filing, updating electronic files, scheduling, and completing other administrative tasks for litigation.

•

Proactivity and consistency in maintaining organizational systems in the Legal Department.

•

Effectiveness in coordination and communication within the Legal department and other ACLUM colleagues, as well as external partners.

Other Requirements

•

Frequent written and verbal communication.

•

Extensive reading, preparing, and analyzing information, in hard copy and electronic format.

•

Frequent and extended periods of being in a stationary position.

•

Regular handling of light packages and bundles of printed materials.

•

Ability to set up and manipulate settings for standard office and audio-visual equipment and software, configure standard office furniture in event spaces, and administer meetings conducted in hybrid format.

•

Flexibility to accommodate work outside of regular business hours when needed, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends.

Compensation

Salary range for this position is $68,000 to $75,000, with consideration for and commensurate with direct experience. Benefits include 401(k) plan plus employer match, medical and dental insurance, and paid vacation and holidays. Reimbursement for mileage may be provided in accordance with ACLUM policies, when applicable.

About the ACLU of Massachusetts

The ACLU of Massachusetts (ACLUM) was founded in 1920 and is an affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a nationwide, non-profit, non-partisan membership organization that works to preserve and expand the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Through strategies of litigation, advocacy, public education, and grassroots activism, we strengthen and expand public understanding of racial justice, juvenile justice, LGBTQ rights (including equal marriage), women's rights, criminal justice issues, equal opportunity, free speech and assembly, privacy rights, religious liberty, students' rights, voting rights, and reproductive rights. ACLUM staff are unionized and this position will be within the bargaining unit.

ACLUM is an equal opportunity employer and encourages women, people of color, persons with disabilities, queer people, and formerly incarcerated people to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position will be based in Boston, MA and eligible for a hybrid work schedule, being in-person an average of three days per week, with the ability to be in the office on any given day as needed and assigned. ACLUM has a Covid-19 vaccine mandate, and candidates receiving a job offer will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to commencing employment. Exemptions to this requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law. Applicants should be aware that fully remote work will not be deemed a reasonable accommodation.

TO APPLY: Applicants for this position should submit a resume, cover letter that best expresses their interest and unique qualifications, and three references (two former or current direct supervisors plus one colleague or peer directly familiar with the applicant’s past work). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled.