The Montana Legal Services Association has an opening for a full time (40 hours/week) legal assistant position open in our Helena office. The legal assistant will provide half-time support to the Intake Group and half time support to the Agricultural Worker Practice Group. The successful applicant must be fluent in spoken and written Spanish and demonstrate strong people skills, and flexibility.
Specific Duties
• Answer incoming HelpLine calls and conduct initial screening of calls; assist with applications from those who seek legal assistance from the Agricultural Worker Practice Group, and other clients.
• Provide services to MLSA’s Spanish speaking clients, and translation and interpretation with clients when appropriate.
• Scan and upload applications and client documents to MLSA’s case management system; maintain calendars in the case management system and schedule advice appointments with MLSA’s advocates.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of legal and social service agencies that can help both eligible and ineligible applicants for MLSA’s services.
• Help develop and participate in community outreach and program initiatives throughout Montana.
• Provide paralegal support to attorneys in ongoing cases, including: draft correspondence, discovery and simple pleadings; calendar all case-related dates and events; file pleadings in court; serve court files and discovery, investigate, examine, and analyze documents obtained from the court files, in discovery and from other sources as needed or requested.
• Provide overall support to the Agricultural Worker staff attorneys.
• Other duties as assigned
• A commitment to social justice work
• High level of proficiency in oral and written Spanish.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Good listening skills.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal skills.
• Capacity to learn and adapt.
• High degree of computer data entry proficiency and accuracy.
• Ability to travel, occasionally overnight.
• A commitment to providing high quality legal assistance to low-income people in Montana.
• A willingness to establish and maintain effective relationships with clients, community partners, the public, judges, court personnel and the bar.
• Ability and willingness to work cooperatively and collegially within a decentralized statewide law firm.
• Proficient at the use of technology, including, but not limited to, word processing, spreadsheets, internet-based programs and computer-based legal research.
• Willingness to learn and further develop technology skills and abilities.
• Dependability, initiative and motivation and concern for the interests of the clients
The successful candidate will demonstrate an interest in working with vulnerable populations and a passion for social justice work.
Salary: $35,000 per year and up, DOE. MLSA offers and attractive benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurance, retirement and educational loan repayment assistance.
To Apply: Send a letter of interest, resume, and three professional references to [email protected].
Submission Deadline: Screening of applications will begin on May 8, 2021, and the position will remain open until filled.