We are the Maine affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. We fight for equality, justice, and freedom for all people in Maine in the statehouse, in the courthouse and through public education and engagement. We are active in the areas of criminal legal reform, racial justice, immigrants' rights, reproductive rights, women's rights, Indigenous rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, privacy, and freedom of speech and religion.
We are a passionate, highly motivated group and we are looking for exceptional talent to join our team.
OPPORTUNITY
The ACLU of Maine seeks a full-time Paralegal to support and strengthen our litigation and advocacy work. The Paralegal will assist in a range of diverse legal and policy projects, including supporting all stages of policy campaigns and litigation in both state and federal court from initial pleadings to appeals. The work of the Paralegal will also involve assisting with the coordination of public records requests and e-discovery solutions for various advocacy matters. This position reports to the Legal and Policy Directors and works closely with other ACLU-ME colleagues.
KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Direct Support of Ongoing and Emerging Legal Advocacy and Litigation
- Draft and send correspondence and legal documents, including letters, motions, court forms, petitions, subpoenas, and discovery documents.
- Maintain case files, including pleadings, correspondence, discovery, and other materials.
- Prepare legal filings, including proofreading, formatting, cite-checking, creating tables of contents and authorities, filing documents electronically, and coordinating the production, filing, and service of paper documents.
- Assist with discovery, including the organization, case management, collection, review strategy, and production of documents obtained from clients and opposing parties.
- Assist with fact development and collection, including preparing public records requests, and interviewing clients and witnesses, and assisting with research.
- Monitor relevant deadlines, calculate court deadlines, and update case calendars; and
- Assist with monitoring, tracking, and follow-up on intakes from individuals seeking legal assistance.
- Work jointly with interns and staff to support projects as assigned.
Direct Support of Ongoing and Emerging Policy Advocacy
- Prepare and maintain documents for tracking the legislative calendar and progress of legislation.
- Provide meeting and logistical support for coalition and programmatic meetings, including scheduling video and conference calls, meeting set-up, catering, and note-taking.
- Proofread and format documents such as letters and reports, and assisting in the creation of PowerPoint or other presentations.
Administrative Tasks
- Facilitate conflicts checks, case opening procedures, case file management, and tracking for litigation matters; and Coordinate check requests; book travel arrangements for Legal and Policy staff; mail and photocopy bulk materials; and
- Update online case pages and other program materials for the ACLU of Maine webpage.
- Provide administrative support for intern hiring and coordination of intern programs.
EXPERIENCE & USEFUL SKILLS
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
- Prior experience as a litigation paralegal in Maine state and federal courts preferred.
- Rich experience in a litigation environment, conducting legal research, preparing legal reports, and drafting case summaries.
- Knowledge of legal terminology and citation conventions, legal case management software, electronic court filing systems, electronic legal research tools (e.g., Westlaw).
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks under time pressure.
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work proactively, collaboratively, and independently as needed to get things done.
- Strong belief in the ACLU of Maine’s mission and work to defend and strengthen civil rights and civil liberties.
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion. Respect for differences in race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and socio-economic background.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
This is a salaried, exempt position with a starting salary range of $60,000-$65,000 based on individual experience and abilities. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse workforce through equity initiatives, which includes equitable pay practices. Competitive compensation is consistent with the applicable collective bargaining agreement. Excellent benefits include vacation, personal, and sick leave, paid holidays, individual employer-provided health and dental insurance, life insurance and long-term disability, paid family medical leave, 401k defined contribution plan with employer match.
LOCATION
The ACLU of Maine’s office is based in Portland, Maine. Currently staff are working in a hybrid remote and in-person environment and are discussing long-term plans.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
To apply, please submit a cover letter (no more than 500 words) and a resume to: careers@aclumaine.org, including your name and “Paralegal Job Posting” in the subject line. If you need assistance or accommodation, contact us at careers@aclumaine.org. Your cover letter should explain ways in which you satisfy the skills and qualifications specified above. We also invite applicants to include in their letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work.
The ACLU of Maine is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Maine encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, previous criminal conviction, and veteran status.
HIRING TIMELINE
Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, but encourage applicants to apply by March 10, 2023. We will contact you if we are interested in moving your candidacy forward.
