Paralegal Intern, Diversity Legal Internship Program 2024 - Center for NYC Neighborhoods

POSITION​ Paralegal Intern, Diversity Legal Internship Program 2024

About the Center 

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods (the “Center”) is a New York not-for-profit that promotes and protects affordable homeownership in New York so that low to moderate-income New Yorkers can build strong, thriving communities. Working with public and private partners, the Center and its affiliates meet and support the diverse needs of homeowners throughout New York State by offering free, high-quality direct services, support of community-based housing counselors, policy research and advocacy, and affordable lending products We assist individuals and communities experiencing ongoing housing discrimination due to systemic barriers to equitable homeownership. Our legal team, consisting of a General Counsel, three staff attorneys, and two compliance officers, collaborates closely to address these challenges effectively.

The goal of the Center’s Diversity Legal Internship Program is to recruit students from diverse academic, professional, and personal backgrounds or who have overcome adversity and provide substantive experience to contribute to their professional development and cultivate the future cohort of legal professionals dedicated to serving individuals and communities facing patterns of historical discrimination.

Position Summary

The Center seeks a part-time paralegal intern to join its legal team. The paralegal intern will work with attorneys and compliance team members on the Center’s legal team and undertake a broad range of responsibilities to gain valuable experience, develop practical legal skills, engage in real-world casework, and gain insight into the legal profession.

This position is based in New York, NY. This is an in-office position that requires eight (8) to twelve (12) hours per week that can be divided between one (1) to three (3) days based on the student’s academic schedule for a period of six (6) to eight (8) months, tentatively starting October/November 2024 and ending May/June 2025.  

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
 

• Providing day-to-day administrative support, including processing invoices, tracking and reporting expenses and lobbying hours of legal team members, and maintaining physical files;
• Sorting and distributing legal correspondence and mail and logging and updating pending lawsuits and other legal actions in the team database;
• Conducting basic legal and public records research;
• Drafting, proofreading, and redacting legal correspondence and other materials as requested; 
• Respond to written and verbal inquiries as directed by team members;
• Supporting organization and maintenance of contract database and implementing contract management system;
• Attending internal team meetings and taking notes, as needed;
• Communicating with Court staff, counsel, and other agencies, organizations, or vendors, as needed;
• Engaging in special projects and other duties reasonably related to the position may be required.

Skills & Qualifications

• Applicants must be enrolled and registered students in good standing for paralegal certification through one of the following methods: 
  • An accredited school for a bachelor’s or graduate certificate in paralegal studies;
  • A paralegal certificate program approved by the American Bar Association (“ABA”); or
  • An associate degree program in paralegal studies
• The internship is conditioned upon an applicant’s continued status as an enrolled and registered student; 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate effectively across several diverse internal groups and teams.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. 
• Demonstrate an ability to work efficiently and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate an ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Demonstrate a growth mindset through resilience, engaging in expansive thinking, and showing curiosity.
• Passionate about promoting affordable homeownership and an equitable New York.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Office Suite, or related software.

Salary 

We offer competitive pay of $20.00 hourly. 

Application 

To apply for this position, please submit your cover letter and resume through the career page on our website no later than Friday, October 11, 2024. We will not consider applications that do not include both the resume and cover letter.

In your cover letter, please answer the following questions: 

• How have your past educational and professional experiences prepared you for this opportunity? 
• How has your diverse background/experience and/or any adversity you have overcome prepared you for this role?
• What interests you most about this opportunity and what do you hope to learn? 

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicant review will continue until the position is filled. Persons requiring reasonable accommodation to participate in this hiring effort are requested to contact Recruitment at the Center at 646.849.4616. We thank you for your interest in career opportunities with the Center.

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods ​is an equal-opportunity employer. We recruit, hire, upgrade, train, and promote for all positions and job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital, veteran or disabled veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other status as a member of any other legally protected group or activity. 

To learn more, visit cnycn.org

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