Client Services Coordinator – Albany Office

Ready to Make a Difference?

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Legal Secretary for the Albany office. Legal Aid's mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society that is inclusive and equitable for all. We transform lives, build community, and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position is based out of the Albany office. For more information about our work, staff, and clients, visit www.lasnny.org.

We are a unionized program with excellent benefits, offering generous time off, excellent health insurance coverage with premiums primarily paid by LASNNY, health and long-term disability insurance, retirement contributions, tuition reimbursement, qualifying moving expenses, and flexible hybrid-remote and alternative work schedules.

About the Role:

The Client Services Coordinator will serve in our Albany Office and will be supporting reception, intake, legal staff, and the operation of the Albany office and provide free legal assistance in civil legal matters to low-income residents of Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Columbia, and Greene Counties.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform secretarial, clerical, and administrative functions necessary to the effective representation of clients.
• Work with clients, judiciary, and pro bono counsel to ensure and track timely case assignment, legal work completion, and readiness for case closure.
• Organize and support applications for assistance and poor persons' applications.
• Assist and provide clerical and secretarial support for the assignment of pro bono counsel in divorce matters.
• Assist in grant reporting as requested.
• Assist staff with client communication and gathering relevant documents.
• Assist staff in performing legal and administrative tasks.
• Conduct intake interviews and summarize the nature of the legal issue.
• Determine programmatic eligibility and case assignment.
• Provide support for outreach, training, or clinics.
• Assist with filing of Albany office closed case files and maintenance of on-site Albany office file storage and data entry in the LASNNY case management system as needed.

Skills and Education Requirements:

• Resident of New York State.
• Minimum 2 years prior secretarial experience, with a preference for legal experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving and working with vulnerable populations.
• Experience in following multiple rules and protocols for securing detailed information from callers, determining appropriate responses, and contemporaneously entering information obtained and responses provided in a computer database.
• Ability to maintain a courteous and professional contact with clients, opposing counsel, courts, and agencies.
• Strong data entry and computer skills.
• Experience in the utilization of case management databases, spreadsheets, reporting, and generating reports.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communications skills and cultural sensitivity to low-income, diverse persons.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office with least 50 WPM ability.
• Willing to work reasonable overtime when requested.
• Experience in transcribing from dictation equipment.
• Ability to speak Spanish or Chinese is a plus.
• Strong preference for experience with AIRS.
• Notary public.
• Reliable with punctuality and attendance.
• Reliable transportation and willing to travel within assigned region.

Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of office items. This role requires the use of standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual's race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state or local laws. In furtherance of our culture, we strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQI persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, older adults, and people with disabilities.

If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at LASNNY and we will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.