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Litigation Assistant I, Midwest Regional Office

Employer
Earthjustice
Location
Chicago, Illinois
Salary
Salary range in Chicago, IL is: $60,100 - $66,800
Closing date
Mar 24, 2021

View more

Focus Areas
Environment
Job Function
Administrative / Clerical, Legal, Research
Position Type
Full Time
Degree Level
High School
Experience Level
Administrative

Earthjustice is now accepting applications for a Litigation Assistant to join our team of lawyers and advocates in the Midwest Regional Office.  

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization.  We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country.  We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to combat climate change and promote clean energy.  We partner with thousands of groups, supporters, individuals and communities to engage the critical environmental issues of our time, and bring about positive change.  We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections.  We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment.  Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Chicago, Anchorage, Juneau, Los Angeles, Tallahassee, Miami, Honolulu, New York, Philadelphia, Denver, Seattle, Bozeman, and Washington, DC.

The Midwest Regional Office works across all three of Earthjustice’s program areas—climate, healthy communities, and lands and wildlife. For instance, we are actively involved in cases opposing pipelines and mining that will have devastating impacts on the environment including tribal sacred sites. We are committed to working with communities across the Midwest with special attention to Detroit, Chicagoland including Northwest Indiana, and St. Louis.

This position provides paralegal and administrative support for attorneys in the Chicago Midwest Regional office. The successful candidate will be housed in our Chicago office, but will work remotely while this office is closed due to COVID-19.

Responsibilities:

Paralegal (70%):

  • Coordinate with attorneys to prepare documents for filing in both Federal and State courts and before agencies, including: formatting for compliance with court rules; proofreading, cite-checking; preparing tables of contents, tables of authorities, exhibits, and exhibit lists; and filing and serving.
  • Perform factual and legal research and draft memos regarding research.
  • Maintain litigation calendar including monitoring, computing, and scheduling court and agency deadlines based on court rules,  orders and other sources
  • Organize meetings and events.
  • Maintain digital and physical files, including case pleadings, general litigation documents, agency records and filings, and general correspondence; and case document productions (through DISCO and other discovery management software).
  • Work with attorneys to prepare client communications, including retainer agreements, litigation hold letters, and joint defense agreements.
  • Become familiar with relevant court and administrative agency rules and procedures, and maintain knowledge of latest changes to relevant rules.
  • Monitor Federal Register, court, administrative agency, and/or other web sites as requested by attorneys.
  • Assemble and oversee production of documents, exhibits, and other materials for court or administrative agency filings, service, hearings, depositions, and/or oral arguments.
  • Assist other litigation assistants.
  • Submit FOIA inquiries and review and summarize responsive documents as needed.

Administrative (30%):

  • Work with IT Department to identify and resolve computer and technical problems.
  • Help with general office functions like mail and packages, preparing expense reports, requesting maintenance, and interfacing with vendors.
  • Take notes at staff meetings.
  • Help plan and prepare for events.
  • Schedule meetings for attorneys.
  • Support the hiring process, including assistance with onboarding.
  • Other tasks assigned as needed.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree preferred
  • Demonstrated, strong administrative skills.
  • Paralegal experience or training a plus but not required.
  • Interest in and knowledge of environmental, social justice, or public interest issues a plus.
  • A can-do attitude, meticulous attention to detail, and an unrelenting commitment to high performance standards.
  • Excellent research, analytical, writing, and high-level of computer literacy (word processing, spreadsheets, Adobe Acrobat, databases and, Internet research, etc.).
  • The ability to develop visual aids and exhibits using mapping tools, such as EJScreen, and analyze demographic and geographic data to assist attorneys in case development is a plus.
  • The ability to organize, set priorities among multiple assignments, meet deadlines, and function calmly under pressure.
  • The ability to work effectively as part of a team, including with remote staff, and to maintain confidential information.
  • Flexible, punctual, highly reliable, and available for occasional evening and weekend work. Ability to work for extended periods on the computer as needed to meet filing deadlines.
  • A team player who will enthusiastically take on tasks that range from intellectually challenging to routine administrative work. Ability to work independently to identify, analyze, and complete tasks.
  • Ability to work overtime on an as needed basis.
  • Excellent command of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
  • An awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
  • Commitment to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits that are comprehensive and competitive. We also offer an extremely congenial work environment and a casual dress code.  

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following via Jobvite: 

  • Resume
  • One or two page cover letter.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.

For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco:  Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For positions located within the City of Los Angeles:  We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

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