Paralegal - Impact Litigation Opportunity Under Law

About Public Counsel

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law organization committed to promoting civil rights and advancing racial and economic justice. Operating primarily under a pro bono service model, the firm delivers comprehensive legal advocacy to empower clients and strengthen communities through direct legal representation, educational outreach, litigation, and policy reform in Los Angeles and beyond.

The organization operates through seven specialized teams: Child, Youth & Family Advocacy, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Education Equity, and the impact litigation division known as Opportunity Under Law (OUL). Public Counsel employs around 170 staff members and prioritizes diversity, inclusion, and comprehensive support including competitive pay, benefits, training, and wellness, making it a recognized leader among nonprofit legal service providers.

About Opportunity Under Law

Opportunity Under Law spearheads community-centered impact litigation aimed at dismantling systemic barriers to opportunity. Its legal efforts focus on combating discrimination and structural injustices across education, housing, immigration, and allied sectors. The unit’s approach includes leveraging client cases for broader social change, forging close collaborations with direct service programs, engaging affected communities, and shaping public discourse. OUL pursues innovative legal claims to address complex intersectional issues and aims to achieve landmark civil rights outcomes.

Role Summary

Under the supervision of the Program Manager, the Paralegal plays a critical role supporting OUL's litigation efforts by managing deadlines and delivering detailed litigation assistance. This includes working on complex federal and state civil rights cases, assisting with new impact litigation initiatives, and collaborating with leadership, project staff, other Public Counsel divisions, and volunteer attorneys. The position entails case preparation, client interaction, document management, and litigation logistics, occasionally involving investigative work offsite.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct trauma-informed interviews with individuals and draft supporting legal statements such as declarations and complaint narratives.
• Engage with community groups and plaintiff classes to build partnerships supporting litigation goals.
• Prepare legal filings, ensuring proper document formatting, Blue Book citation compliance, and comprehensive tables of contents and authorities.
• Manage filing of legal documents with state and federal courts.
• Research applicable local court rules for filings and service procedures.
• Support discovery processes, including document review and production tasks.
• Assist trial preparation by organizing materials such as binders and exhibits.
• Participate in litigation team meetings and contribute to case strategy discussions.
• Conduct fact-finding and expert investigations relevant to ongoing and prospective cases.
• Coordinate with pro bono volunteers and co-counsel to enhance litigation effectiveness.
• Oversee internal project management tasks, facilitating communication between litigation and other Public Counsel departments.
• Provide administrative assistance including calendar management, meeting scheduling, document organization, and tracking time records for fee submissions.
• Perform other duties as required.