Homeownership & Consumer Rights Paralegal

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, Inc. (CLS) is seeking a highly driven paralegal for its Homeownership & Consumer Rights Unit (HCRU). The HCRU paralegal will focus on interviewing new potential clients and gathering information about their cases for potential advice or representation by the unit.  

CLS is a non-profit public interest agency providing free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphia residents. As the largest provider of free civil legal services in the Philadelphia area, CLS is both locally and nationally renowned as a premier legal services provider dedicated to ensuring access to justice for all low-income individuals and communities.  

The HCRU represents low-income Philadelphians to save homes and fight predatory consumer scams using a variety of tools. We advocate with our clients outside the courtroom, file lawsuits, train and empower clients and community organizations about their legal rights, work with law makers to address systemic injustices, and much more.   

Philadelphia has always prided itself as being a city of low-income homeowners, but today, this vision is at risk. This is especially true for Black and Latinx homeowners who are more likely to be at risk of losing their homes due to lower and more insecure income combined with a history of racist home lending policies. Meanwhile, predatory scammers stand by, waiting to exploit Philadelphians in desperate situations. The HCRU empowers low-income consumers and ensures that no family needs to choose between feeding their kids and putting cash in the pockets of abusive debt collectors. Today, the work of the HCRU is especially important to ensure that low-income Philadelphians are not victimized by consumer scams or lose their homes. This position will be a vital part of HCRU’s work. 

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

The job duties and responsibilities necessary for this position include:  

• Interviewing potential and actual clients and gathering their relevant documents;  

• Obtaining deeds, mortgages, birth and death certificates, court and probate records and other documents from publicly available sources; 

• Working under the supervision of an HCRU attorney, assist in determining case strategy; 

• Drafting new deeds; 

• Filing probate petitions;  

• Meeting with clients to complete applications for mortgage loan modifications and property tax programs; 

• Negotiating agreements with mortgage companies and opposing counsel; and 

• Producing internal client data reports to help analyze new client trends. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• High School Diploma or GED 

• Strong writing skills 

• Strong computer literacy including proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) 

• Proven ability to interact well in a multi-cultural environment.   

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Fluency in writing and speaking a language other than English, preferably Spanish. 

• Experience in legislative or administrative advocacy, community education and education, or experience with a social services agency or a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of the poor 

• Strong and proven commitment to racial justice work and advocacy 

To Apply: CLS will accept applications on a rolling basis until the position has been filled. However, candidates are highly encouraged to submit their application by June 2, 2023. You can submit your application on CLS’s website online at: https://clsphila.org/about-cls/available-positions/ OR by selecting "Apply Now" below. 

What to include in your application: Please include a cover letter, resume, and three professional references (past or current supervisors preferred) identifying your relationship. If selected for an interview, applicants will be asked to complete a writing prompt.  

CLS values a diverse and inclusive work environment where employees feel a sense of belonging and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. CLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how their unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice. 

Compensation: This is a full-time position covered by the collective bargaining agreement between CLS and the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFL-CIO and its affiliate District 1199C. The current minimum starting salary is $41,990 for entry-level applicants, which increases with relevant years of experience and according to the provisions of the current collective bargaining agreement. CLS asks for a minimum two-year commitment from individuals who accept an offer of employment for a paralegal position. 

Benefits: CLS offers a very generous and competitive benefits package including 100% employer paid medical (including gender affirming care), life, and short/long-term disability benefits, a 403(b)-retirement plan with employer contribution, and a generous leave package, including 13 paid holidays and five personal holidays each year.  

Community Legal Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. CLS, Inc. does not discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, genetics, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.  In addition to federal law requirements, CLS complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.