Paralegal

​Paralegal With the Pennsylvania Innocence Project 

 
Location: Temple University, 1515 Market Street, Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 

Mission: Our mission is to exonerate those convicted of crimes they did not commit, to prevent innocent people from being prosecuted and convicted, and to help those wrongfully convicted transition to freedom. 

Position Summary: The Paralegal will support Project attorneys in both in our case intake and litigation stages and assist with volunteer and intern management. The Paralegal will have a key role in helping to maintain the Project’s case and document management system, including updating our database, obtaining records, and organizing files. Responsibilities will vary with the continued growth of our organization. 

While this is an administrative position, the Project’s Paralegal will have the opportunity to participate in weekly staff meetings, audit the Project’s seminars about wrongful convictions for law students participating in clinical education programs, observe hearings, and attend continuing education programs related to criminal justice issues. This position is a great opportunity for professional development and exposure to national innocence organizations and conferences. 

This position is based in Philadelphia but supports both our Pittsburgh and Philadelphia offices. This is a hybrid position, and it is expected that the Paralegal will be in office 3-4 days a week. Occasional travel may be required. 

This is designed to be a two-year position with flexibility to discuss a longer commitment. The anticipated start date for this position is late May 2024. 

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, enjoy working in a fast-paced but collegial non-profit environment, and have a dedication to social justice. The ideal candidate also has strong written and verbal communication skills, acute attention to detail, can balance multiple assignments and deadlines, works well with others, and is self-motivated. Spanish language skills are a plus. 

Necessary IT skills include use of word processing, Power Point, spreadsheets, and PDF software, and familiarity with cloud-based data storage sites, such as Dropbox and SharePoint/ One drive. We also require the candidate to have a willingness to learn case management database software. 
While we welcome candidates who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution, a degree is not a requirement. 

The Pennsylvania Innocence Project is committed to ensuring our staff reflect the clients and communities we serve. We strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. In your cover letter we invite you to tell us how your unique background and/or experiences can contribute to the diversity, vitality, and cultural perspective of our staff, clients, and case work. 

Salary: $49,500, commensurate with experience, with benefits and generous paid leave. 

To Apply: Please apply here by May 1, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so earlier applications are strongly encouraged. 

• Cover letter
• Resume
• 3 References (names and contact information, including at least one non-academic contact, e.g., employer, internship supervisor etc.)

The Pennsylvania Innocence Project is an equal opportunity employer. The Project does not discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. 
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