"Veterans Legal Clinic Paralegal"

Position Summary

The UCLA School of Law Veterans Legal Clinic seeks a dedicated Paralegal to support its mission of addressing the unmet legal needs of veterans, particularly those residing at or receiving services from the West LA VA Medical Center. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful legal work while engaging with a vulnerable population. The Paralegal will provide critical support in legal casework, client engagement, and community outreach. Responsibilities include conducting detailed records reviews, preparing legal forms and pleadings, drafting client declarations and demand letters, and performing legal research under the supervision of a licensed attorney. The Paralegal will also organize outreach events in coordination with VA stakeholders. Legal services provided by the clinic include veterans' disability benefits, traffic and quality-of-life citations, criminal record clearing, and landlord-tenant disputes.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience with and detailed knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications (Required)
• Experience with Internet and other search-engine based research and utilizing Lexis/Nexis or Westlaw for research. (Preferred)
• Prior experience with veterans claims and other legal issues involving veterans. (Preferred)
• 2+ Years Experience working as a legal secretary, administrative assistant, or paralegal in a law office or legal services organization. (Preferred)
• Demonstrated knowledge of standard legal format to prepare a variety of legal documents. Ability to prepare and file court forms. (Preferred)
• Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality. (Required)
• Ability to work flexibly with changing priorities and deadlines. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to organize and present complex information effectively to a range of audiences. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to organize and implement the logistical requirements of events and programs (Required)
• Ability to set priorities that accurately reflect the relative importance of job responsibilities and deadlines. Skill in working collaboratively to prioritize work demands and resources to meet anticipated deadlines. (Required)
• Ability to take initiative, pay attention to detail, work independently, organize workflow, establish a productive work environment and follow through onassignments. (Required)
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with all levels of staff and clients, both verbally and in writing. (Required)
• Skill in gathering and analyzing information with a strong attention to detail. (Required)
• Ability to effectively represent the Legal Clinic to a wide variety of audiences, including community members, veteran service providers, and prospective clients. (Required)
• Demonstrated commitment to working to address the needs of former service members, low-income communities, system-involved individuals, and/or racial equity. (Preferred)

Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

• Associate's Degree in related area and/or equivalent combination of education and experience/training (Required)
• Bachelor's Degree (Preferred)
• Paralegal certification (Preferred)

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please include a cover letter with application submission. Hybrid schedule requirement: minimum 3 days/week on campus. This is a 1 year contract with the possibility of extension and/or conversion to a career appointment.

Special Conditions for Employment

• Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
• Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
• Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.
• 10% Ability to travel offsite throughout Los Angeles County for program meetings and events.

Schedule

Monday - Friday | 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Union/Policy Covered

99-Policy Covered