Public Benefits Paralegal

2 months ago

Riverside, United States Inland Counties Legal Services Full time
Job Title:                     Public Benefits Paralegal – Housing and Disability Advocacy Project (HDAP)
FLSA Classification:   Non-Exempt
Reports To:                  Practice Group Director
Supervises:                  N/A
Pay Range:                $24.00 - $42.00 Hourly (Depending on Experience)

Do you believe that the rights to access government benefits such as food stamps, disability, and unemployment should be protected? Then a paralegal position at ICLS might be right for you.
The work is challenging – many folks come to ICLS seeking assistance in accessing these critical benefits and depend on this access for their livelihood. Without these benefits, many households (often with children) would lose their income stability, housing stability, experience food insecurity, and be unable to meet basic human needs. Unfortunately, some folks become unhoused and seek ICLS services to obtain access to these necessary supports so that they can obtain housing, buy food, and meet other personal needs.

Asserting the rights to these programs, and ensuring receipt of the maximum allowable benefit, is the focus of ICLS’ Public Benefits team. Asserting the right to public benefits for ICLS clients is done in community and the approach is multi-faceted. As a paralegal you will work with experienced attorneys on the Public Benefits/Education Practice Group to discuss case trends, negotiations, litigation strategy, and have the opportunity for mentorship. Additionally, you will work with seasoned paralegals who provide direct client assistance and carry their own caseload on public benefits issues. The community is rounded out by talented legal administrative support staff to help further your client management and case files, as well as preparation of simple legal pleadings.

Paralegals also get the opportunity to conduct at least one community legal education presentation (preferably on-site within ICLS’ service area) and attending at least one community resource event if they’re interested in doing so per year. You’ll also get the opportunity to expand your legal network by working collaboratively with Pro Bono volunteers and learning about the amazing civil legal aid community – local, statewide, and national.

Qualities:
To be successful the staff paralegal should have the following qualities:
  • Willingness to learn from and work with others.
  • Patience with clients and self.
  • Easy to talk to and approachable for both staff, clients, and the community ICLS serves.
  • An openness to communicate both challenges and an intentional practice to express gratitude to their colleagues.
  • Determination to get the best outcome for clients.
  • Curiosity and desire to learn about client’s experiences that led to their legal issue including systemic injustices that have historically disadvantaged persons of color and folks with low income.
  • Passion and dedication to access to justice via civil legal aid.
  • Hard-working but appreciates a work-life balance; has boundaries and respects others’ boundaries.
  • Has a healthy and sustainable practice to manage stress and vicarious trauma or is willing to learn practices that may be helpful in these regards.
  • Community Centered; Inquisitive
  • Passion for learning and personal/professional growth
  • Interested in mentorship for self and mentoring others as experience is gained;
Skills:
  • Active listening skills
  • Trauma-informed interviewing skills
  • Trauma-informed advocacy
  • Legal writing and research skills
  • Courtroom/trial experience (will be gained at ICLS for those with limited experience)
  • Analytical skills
  • Bilingual preferred
  • Negotiations
  • Previous experience conducting street outreach to unhoused folks, or working with similar populations required
  • Experience conducting a homeless point-in-time count for San Bernardino or Riverside county a plus
Job Related Expectations:
  • Legal work expectations: Under the supervision of a licensed attorney in good standing, paralegals will:
  • Accept HDAP referrals from partner organizations and make contact with the referrals within 72 hours of receipt. Note that the initial communication may be challenging and may require a visit to where the person is located in the community (e.g. motel, encampment, or community partner location).
  • Travel to client locations weekly including locations not intended for human habitation such as unhoused encampments, parks, and other locations that clients frequent. Safety is incredibly important; travel and home visits are done with an additional staff member and visits should be halted if the staff member does not feel safe in the environment.
  • Assess HDAP referrals holistically including assisting in applying for CalFresh, General Relief/General Assistance, CAPI, and obtaining vital documents if needed.
  • Maintain regular contact with HDAP clients (at least once every 30 days) and assist in developing application for disability benefits including – assessing most recent treatment and medical history, if necessary, coordinating with health law team for assistance in obtaining health insurance coverage, challenging denials or delays in treatment, and transportation.
  • Requesting and obtaining client’s medical records. Maintaining multiple databases updated with client contact information.
  • Represent clients in various administrative legal proceedings on a variety of public benefits including CalWORKs, CalFresh, General Relief/General Assistance, CAPI, and others.
  • Represent clients by providing direct representation at all stages of the disability application process including at administrative hearings with the State Hearings Division. Representation includes negotiating the matter, if necessary, with an Appeals Specialist to avoid the need for a hearing
  • Meet clients in the community – this may include conducting intake and outreach activities at various locations including community-based organizations, homeless shelters, homeless encampments, motels, and client homes. Safety is of the utmost importance and these types of outreaches/intakes are done in partnership with an additional experienced ICLS staff member, and at times with the assistance of members from partner community-based organizations.
  • Requesting and reviewing medical records to determine whether the client has the sufficient evidence needed to apply, maintain, or restore disability benefits with the Social Security Administration.
  • Become SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) certified, in both adult and child criteria, to aid in your ability to properly assist clients with applying for and obtaining disability-based benefits.
  • Become familiar with and follow Legal Services Corporation regulations and other funder requirements as appropriate.
  • Maintaining physical files in compliance with program and funder requirements, including ICLS’ Case Management System Legal Server, and San Bernardino County HMIS.
  • Engage monthly with HDAP partners, provide report outs on clients, and coordinate efforts to locate clients if they are not able to be located.
  • Once trained and experienced in this work, handle a minimum caseload based on tier:
    • Paralegal I: 0-2 years of experience; 15-20 active cases; approximately 5-10 inactive cases that are pending hearings, application decisions, or medical records for further case development
    • Paralegal II: 3-5 years of experience; 20-30 active cases; approximately 10-15 inactive cases that are pending hearings, application decisions, or medical records for further case development
    • Paralegal III: 4-9 years of experience; 30-40 active cases; approximately 15-20 inactive cases that are pending hearings, application decisions, or medical records for further case development
    • Paralegal IV: 8 + years of experience; 30-45 active cases; approximately 15-20 inactive cases that are pending hearings, application decisions, or medical records for further case development
  • A special note regarding Paralegal IV: Provides ongoing training in the office and out in the field to new paralegals hired onto the HDAP grant/team by assisting them with the different task and responsibilities that are required by both ICLS and the grant specifics, such as client files, Legal Server, Clarity, various trackers, HDAP forms, SSA forms, completing HDAP interview memos, outreach/home visits, and other duties as requested.
  • Comply with MCLE requirements for paralegals in accordance California Business and Professions Code §6450(d): Every two years, commencing January 1, 2007, any person that is working as a paralegal shall be required to certify completion of four hours of mandatory continuing legal education in legal ethics and four hours of mandatory continuing legal education in either general law or in an area of specialized law. All continuing legal education courses shall meet the requirements of Section 6070. Certification of these continuing education requirements shall be made with the paralegal's supervising attorney. The paralegal shall be responsible for keeping a record of the paralegal's certifications.


The recognition of our common humanity is the first step in fostering a diverse and equitable environment. The sum of our unique differences is greater than our individual parts. Our unique stories and experiences allow us to better solve the challenges that our community faces. Staff approach professional relationships with humility across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency with a willingness to consider unique perspectives. Inland Counties Legal Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. 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.

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