Paralegal
Public Justice Center
Baltimore, Maryland
September 2022
Be a critical member in a growing team of social justice advocates! The Public Justice Center in Baltimore is seeking a paralegal for the Human Right to Housing Project.
The Public Justice Center (“PJC”) and the Human Right to Housing Team
The Public Justice Center pursues systemic change to build a just society. Founded in Maryland in 1985, the PJC uses legal advocacy tools to pursue social justice, economic and racial equity, and fundamental human rights for people who are struggling to provide for their basic needs. The PJC is a civil legal aid office that provides advice and representation to low-income clients, advocates before legislatures and government agencies, and collaborates with community and advocacy organizations. Our website is www.publicjustice.org.
The Human Right to Housing Project seeks the realization of a human right to housing that is fair, affordable, habitable, and accessible, with security of tenure and cultural adequacy. Project attorneys and paralegals provide legal services to low-income tenants in eviction and rent escrow cases, collaborate with community organizing partners to build tenant power, and advocate in state and local legislatures and government agencies for tenants’ rights.
COVID-19 Info: This position is partly remote and partly in the office and at court. Our current policy provides that staff will be required to come to the office, the courts, or other public meetings as necessary, but policies concerning COVID-19 may change as the situation changes. The PJC is providing PPE for employees and guests and maintaining other risk reduction measures in the office.
Primary job responsibilities include:
The following attributes are highly valued for this position. Applicants should also identify other skills and experiences that may benefit the PJC.
Compensation and terms of employment: This is a full-time, non-exempt position that will require 40 hours in a workweek. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required. This position is based in Baltimore and may require local travel. The salary range for a paralegal begins at $40,000 and increases with experience. For example, a candidate with 5 years of relevant experience would be offered $50,000. A language bonus of $1,000/year is given to Spanish/English bilingual staff. An excellent cafeteria benefit package is included offering health, dental, disability and life insurance, and retirement options. Cafeteria benefits packages give employees flexibility to choose how to direct their benefits. For example, this package can cover 100% of employee healthcare premiums, but an employee can choose to direct those funds towards retirement if they already have health insurance. PJC employees receive at least 20 days of paid leave, with increases based on length of tenure, 10 paid holidays, and 15 days of sick leave annually.
Applications: This position is open and available as of September 27, 2022. We will accept applications until the position is filled, but for priority consideration please apply by October 21, 2022. To apply, please submit – by email only – a cover letter explaining your interest, a resume, a short writing sample, and the names and telephone numbers of three references. Please send applications to: Carolina Paul, paulc@publicjustice.org, with “Paralegal Applications from [your name]” in the subject line.
Physical/Mental Demands and Office Environment
The physical/mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The Public Justice Center is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer that encourages all interested persons to apply regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, creed, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, age, religion, genetic information, physical or mental disability, marital status, or any other legally protected status. We strongly encourage Black, Latine, Indigenous, and other applicants of color, people with disabilities, and other people historically underrepresented in