Receptionist at Legal Services NYC
Legal Services NYC · New York, United States Of America · On-site
- Office in New York
Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.
LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer.
BROOKYLN LEGAL SERVICES
SEEKS A RECEPTIONIST
Brooklyn Legal Services seeks a receptionist. The position will be situated at one of our three office locations - in Bedford-Stuyvesant (29 Albany Avenue); downtown Brooklyn (105 Court Street) or Brownsville (1709 St. Marks Ave).
Brooklyn Legal Services (BLS), part of Legal Services NYC’s Brooklyn Programs, provides high quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Brooklyn’s diverse low-income population. BLS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients — preserving affordable and decent housing, maintaining income support, redressing abusive lending and consumer practices, promoting family stability and mitigating the effects of domestic violence, and advocating for other vulnerable and marginalized populations including low-income immigrants, older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities.
As a community-centered, social justice organization, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where staff and clients feel welcome. Through our various affinity groups and committees, we actively work to foster collegial relationships among staff and allow staff to explore, grow in our understanding of and challenge barriers to opportunity within our organization and through our legal work. All employees are expected to learn about and seek to understand, identify and overcome barriers to justice, from individual preconceptions to structural obstacles, and work to realize our organizational goals and mission.
The responsibilities of this position include all of the duties under Receptionist/ Switchboard Operator as described in the collective bargaining agreement. These include, but are not limited to:
- Welcoming prospective clients and visitors to the office and directing them to the appropriate casehandler or external resource;
- Answering the phones, including responding to inquiries regarding our services and directing calls and taking messages, sorting and distributing the mail;
- Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of our office priorities and intake procedures;
- Assessing whether prospective clients can be assisted by our office and giving information about how to access our services and/or those provided by other organizations;
- Performing preliminary intake or screening interview, including preparation of appropriate forms, which may require occasional typing;
- Occasional filing;
- Duplicating, collating, and distributing materials.
- Translating for Limited English Proficiency callers and visitors or using telephone translation services as needed; and
- Other tasks as assigned which are consistent with the collective bargaining agreement.
Experience and Qualifications
The successful candidate must have strong written and oral communication skills and be able to relate with a wide range of people including low-income clients, case handlers, and representatives of community organizations; and must be able to maintain a calm demeanor in a stressful and fast-paced environment. The candidate must also be skilled in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, internet research and be comfortable learning and adapting to new technologies. Proficiency in Spanish, Haitian-Creole or a Chinese-dialect is highly preferred, as is prior legal and/or social services experience.
Salary is commensurate with experience and is governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We offer an excellent benefits package. Mentorship, training and advancement opportunities are provided.
All employees are strongly encouraged to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless unable to for medical or religious reasons.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples.
Salary and benefits are determined by the LS-NYC Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and people over the age of 40 are strongly encouraged to apply.
Dependent on work history and experience.
All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.
