The Bronx Defenders (BxD)—an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx—seeks someone with a commitment to public defense to serve as a paralegal in the Civil Action Practice (CAP). 

Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement.   

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences.   

Today we are reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change.   

We also share our model and lessons learned with current and future public defenders. We run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders from one end of the country to the next on how to move to a holistic model of representation.   

Civil Action Practice 

A sweeping array of civil punishments are triggered the moment someone faces arrest, deportation, or family separation. The people we represent risk losing their jobs, homes, income, property, and basic civil rights – struggles that can be more devastating and long-lasting than the charges themselves. Last year, we helped 4000 people obtain concrete benefits like maintaining their jobs, homes, income, property, and rights.   

Housing Justice & the Right to Counsel   

Recognizing the challenges to accessing affordable, quality and safe housing in New York City, The Bronx Defenders has a team exclusively dedicated to providing tenants at risk of losing their homes with defense attorneys for their Housing Court cases. Our Right to Counsel Housing Team was developed in response to the 2017 New York City Right-to-Counsel initiative, which provides tenants facing eviction in Housing Court, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) administrative proceedings and other civil fora with access to free legal representation. The Bronx Defenders is part of the NYC Right to Counsel Coalition.  

Our team works with civil social workers and benefits specialists to supplement their legal defenses and provide additional services, support and resources. We’re committed to a Housing First perspective (an approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to unhoused people quickly and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life.) As a provider of the Right to Counsel in the Bronx, we regularly staff in court intake where people appear to challenge evictions.  

• The CAP Paralegal will be an integral part of CAP’s work and The Bronx Defenders. Reporting to the Managing Director of Administration, the CAP Paralegal will support attorneys and advocates across the practice, in the Housing RTC Team, civil holistic, benefits and social work teams, by coordinating and executing administrative tasks to facilitate and support the services we provide.    

     

  Client, Case, and Staff Support  

     

  • Open, close, associate, and transfer cases in the case management system   
  • Organize and maintain client case files in compliance with grant requirements  
  • Create and organize client folders in SharePoint; scan and upload documents; ensure folders are updated, named consistently, and tagged with appropriate metadata in accordance with practice-wide document management protocols  
  • Create and organize physical client files  
  • Maintain CAP file storage and manage user access to CAP calendars and iBxD systems as needed.  
  • Maintain the CAP calendar to track key deadlines, court appearances, hearing dates, staff offboarding schedules, and practice-wide meetings  
  • Close and retrieve archived files  
  • Perform case conflict checks   
  • Share inactive case information with staff and supervisors, support staff to maintain current and accurate cases in the case management system  
  • Support workflow automations for attorney and advocate intake and assignments, including automated client intake forms, folder creation, and notification systems  
  • Communicate directly with clients about updates on their cases including, but not limited to, court appearances, change of court date, reassignment of counsel, and the closing of cases  
  • Assist with e-filing of case documents in New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF) system  
  • Assist with in-court motion, pleading and other document filing  
  • Request and copy court files and case records   
  • Provide clerical support such as faxing, scanning, and copying documents  
  • Assist with mailings, including time-sensitive, same day and overnight mail requests  
  • Provide affidavits of service   
  • Obtain information using online tools such as the Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) website, Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS), Department of Buildings website, eTrack, CRIMS and webCRIMS  
  • Order and retrieve court and administrative hearing transcripts  
  • Request production of incarcerated or detained clients for CAP counsel visits and civil court appearances  
  • Provide notary services  
  • Assist with CAP’s hotlines and community intake calls by managing log and opening/entering information/closed cases in case management system   
  • Provide coverage of other CAP administrative roles as needed  
  • Cover urgent administrative requests for client needs and time sensitive projects  
  • Provide CAP with additional services and administrative support, as necessary  

     

  Intake  

     

  • Prepare tracker, materials and equipment for intake  
  • Assist with client interviews, enter case data, and collect client documents during intake  
  • Screen prospective clients for eligibility in person and by telephone  
  • Perform conflict checks  
  • Help create & mail intake packets  
  • Create profiles and upload documents for clients  
  • Assist with retainer documentation  
  • Open, update, and close cases with requisite data  
  • Retrieve & copy court files, as requested  
  • Assist with setting up client appointments with CAP staff including Benefits & Social Work 

     

   Appeals  

     

  • Mail notices  
  • File Notices of entry & notices of appeal  
  • Assist with assembly and filing of briefs and/or follow ups with publisher/printer 

To be eligible, candidates must have: 

• Paralegal Certificate plus a minimum of two years of relevant legal work experience 

• Fluency or high-level proficiency in Spanish, validated objectively 

• Experience providing legal administrative support to attorneys representing clients in civil or criminal courts 

• Experience compiling complex legal documents 

• Experience providing legal support to legal and non-legal teams 

• Experience supporting civil litigation and appeals at the city, state, and/or federal levels  

• Experience with case management systems/platforms etc. 

• Fluency or high-level proficiency in Spanish, validated objectively 

Candidates must demonstrate:  

• Interest in social justice work and issues affecting low-income individuals impacted by the Criminal, Civil, Immigration and Family Court systems 

• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences  

• Strong written and verbal communication skills 

• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers 

• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment  

• Meticulous attention to detail 

• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings 

• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly 

• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters 

Preferred but not Required: 

• Experience working with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities 

• Experience working in housing law and/or housing advocacy 

This is a hybrid position that will require at least three days/week of in-person work.  

Salary is commensurate with experience.  For candidates with 2-5 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $69,250 - $71,500. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.  

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit.  

This position is non-exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.   

To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and cover letter in one document. Your cover letter should share why you want to do this work at our office, as well as some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position. Your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience and should include all relevant professional experience. Applications without a written cover letter will not be considered.   

Applications will be accepted through September 22nd, 2025.  

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent, and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family, and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we serve.