Paralegal – Lawyers for Reporters (Non-Profit)

Position Reports to: Managing Attorney, Lawyers for Reporters and Director of Reporters Shield Program
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Location:New York City or remote (depending on applicant’s location)

The Vance Centeradvances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. The Vance Center is a unique collaboration of international lawyers catalyzing public interest innovation. A non-profit program of the New York City Bar Association, we bring together leading law firms and other partners worldwide to pioneer international justice initiatives and provide pro bono legal representation to social justice NGOs.

Program Description
The Vance Center launched Lawyers for Reportersin March 2020 to provide pro bono legal representation to early-stage local journalism and other reporting organizations in the United States. Since its launch, it has represented more than 220 clients in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

Lawyers for Reporters provides a broad range of advice and representation that news and public interest reporting entities needfrom inception through establishment as functioning reporting entities.Services include corporate, transactional, employment, and taxation advice as well as newsroom-related advice. Based on the successful model of the Vance Center, Lawyers for Reporters works in tandem with lawyers at dozens of law firms around the country in various areas of expertise, all engaged on a pro bono basis. Since its launch, 290 lawyers from 36 law firms have co-counseled with Lawyers for Reporters to serve clients.

The Vance Center launched its Reporters Shield Program in November 2022 to assist Reporters Shield, an independent nonprofit organization, provide its members with certain benefits, including training, pre-publication review, and defense against SLAPPs (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation), and related content-based legal threats and claims.
Lawyers for Reporters serves as the US/Canada coordinator for Reporters Shield, coordinating the engaging, monitoring, and compensation of lawyers to represent Reporters Shield members against defamation and related legal threats and claims in the United States and Canada.

The Position
The Paralegal, reporting to the Lawyers for Reporters Managing Attorney and the Reporters Shield Director, will support the Vance Center’s two related programs.
The Paralegal will have primary responsibility for supporting Lawyers for Reporters in its role as U.S/Canada regional coordinator for Reporters Shield, including:

• Supporting the Reporters Shield Director in conducting due diligence of U.S. and Canadian applicants for Reporters Shield membership;
• Developing and maintaining a network of media lawyers qualified to represent Reporters Shield members in responding to legal threats and claims in the U.S. and Canada;
• Managing the identification and selection of lawyers to respond to legal threats and claims in the U.S. and Canada on behalf of Reporters Shield members;
• Supporting the Lawyers for Reporters team in preparing training materials for Reporters Shield members on relevant topics in the U.S. and Canada.

The Paralegal will support the Lawyers for Reporters team in its various activities, including:

• Preparing and coordinating filings related to corporate formation, trademark registration, and applications for federal tax exemption, among other matters;
• Helping to streamline LFR’s attorneys’ delivery of legal services to clients, through development of templates and management of files and records.

The Paralegal will support the Reporters Shield program in its various activities, including:

• Coordinating communications with regional coordinators related to development of training materials, maintenance of attorney networks, provision of pre-publication review, and recruitment and supervision of lawyers representing members;
• Maintaining membership agreements, terms and conditions, vendor contracts, and internal policies and practices;
• Managing members’ requests for legal assistance and the recruitment, supervision, and compensation of lawyers representing members;
• Collecting and analyzing data of claims and threats against members and other information related to the program.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Paralegal certification from a recognized institution, with additional education or specialization in organizational formation and operation, and/or media development preferred.
• Minimum 2 years of experience as a paralegal, with at least 1 year of litigation management, corporate, and/or regulatory experience preferred.
• Familiarity with legal documentation, including incorporation documents, contracts, litigation materials, with international experience preferred.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for effective interaction with clients, attorneys, and other stakeholders, with international experience preferred.
• The ability to work independently, give strong attention to detail, and manage multiple short and long-term tasks simultaneously.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Additional ExperiencePreferred

• Experience and/or general knowledge of media and/or early-stage businesses.
• Experience with litigation practice and general knowledge of the U.S. and other legal markets, including pro bono legal services.
• Ability to develop and/or work with professional networks and/or other forms of collaboration.

Compensation
Starting salary will be $58,000-65,000, based on experience, for a 35 hour workweek.

Candidates for this position who live in or close to New York City should be available for work at our Midtown Manhattan office on a hybrid schedule generally working at least 2 days in the office each week, with the balance of time being work-from-home (remote candidates living outside of the New York City area will also be given consideration for this role).

We provide a competitive benefits package including generous paid time off (vacation, personal, sick time, holidays including closing between Christmas and New Year’s day this year, day off each year for volunteer work, extra time off in the summer if start date is no later than June), choice of medical plans (some offered at almost no charge to employee), dental, vision, 401K, life insurance, commuter benefits program, Employee Assistance Program, short-term/long-term disability insurance, employee discounts, and more!

To apply: It is suggested that qualified applicants include a cover letter, to explain why you are interested in the position, but it is not required to apply. Applications will be considered when received, until a qualified candidate is hired. References will be required and checked before an offer will be provided.

No phone calls please.

We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds and unique experiences to apply, especially those candidates belonging to historically under-represented communities. We welcome diversity of all kinds. It is the policy of the Organization to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, the organization will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.