Legal Assistant

About Swords to Plowshares

Founded in 1974, Swords to Plowshares is a community-based not-for-profit organization that provides counseling and case management, employment and training, housing, and legal assistance to veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. We promote and protect the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education, and partnerships with local, state, and national entities. Believing that war causes wounds and suffering that last beyond the battlefield, our mission is to support veterans as they navigate the challenges of post-military life, and to prevent and end veteran homelessness through wrap-around care and informed advocacy.   To learn more about Swords to Plowshares, please visit our website at www.swords-to-plowshares.org.

Job Title: Legal Assistant

Location: 1060 Howard Street, San Francisco

Schedule: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday

Reporting Type: Hybrid; two in-person days per week

Employment Type: Non-exempt and full time

Salary Range: $30 /hour

Summary:

The full-time, non-exempt Legal Assistant supports the Legal Services team by performing administrative and general office duties as well as assists with grant tracking and reports. The role interacts with veteran clients seeking legal services and is responsible for conducting initial intake interviews, collecting necessary intake and grant documentation, and inputting data into our client management system. In addition, the role is responsible for assessing which clients meet our various grants criteria and tracking those clients and case outcomes in order to accurately report our work to meet grant deliverables.

Responsibilities:

• Accurately collect and enter client intake data into our Salesforce-based case management system; scan and upload documentation to the client’s enrollment record
• Track grant deliverables and run reports of client data in the case management system to support grant reporting requirements; enter grant deliverable information into various online grant portals
• Meet with potential clients (in-person and by phone) to assess eligibility for legal services based on client location, presenting legal issue, and grant requirements
• Create and send documents and forms as needed by attorneys, including retainers, client record requests, claim paperwork, and case closing surveys
• Respond to email, telephone, and written inquiries for legal services and provide self-help legal information and referrals as needed
• Attend weekly staff meetings and supervisory check-in meetings
• Collect, sort, and distribute mail sent to the Legal Unit
• Perform other duties as required

Desired Qualifications:

Experience:

· Experience with or sensitivity to the needs of clients who are trauma survivors, experience mental health symptoms, are unhoused, and/or live with disabilities is preferred

· Familiarity with veteran issues is preferred

· Fluency in English and ability to effectively read, write, and communicate in English with staff, clients, and external partners and stakeholders.

Education:

· Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience

Comprehensive Benefits Package:

Employees who are regularly scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week are eligible for all benefits.

• 100% employer sponsored medical, vision, acupuncture, and dental coverage. Swords to Plowshares covers partial dependent coverage cost. (Agency paid annual medical deductible paid via Navia HRA Card)
• Employee Assistance Program: 20 mental health counseling appointments available to all employees, regardless of Full-time status, at no cost to employees.
• 403(b) retirement plan immediate enrollment
• Generous annual paid time off

Ø 10 sick days

Ø 13 holidays

Ø 17 vacation days in the first year & progressive afterwards

• Access to third party legal benefits, employee discount program, pet insurance, and Commuter Benefit.
• 1-hour paid lunch period, professional development reimbursements, and annual education allowance available to all employees.

*Employees who work on-call, in a temporary position, or less than 20 hours per week regularly are only eligible for our Employee Assistance Program, paid lunch hour, and San Francisco sick time. Vacation and sick time are pro-rated based upon full-time equivalent percentage.

Organizational Values Statement of Intent:

Swords to Plowshares is fully committed to the ongoing work of upholding our values and fostering a supportive culture for all staff and veteran clients. For us, this is a process and not a destination. We embrace the principles of cultural humility to create spaces where all people feel welcome, heard, and valued.

  We stand against injustice and discrimination of all kinds. We understand that the veteran community encompasses a multitude of identities, and we believe that our staff and board should as well. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

At Swords to Plowshares, we believe in creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or status as a protected veteran. We are committed to compliance with all state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are dedicated to affirmative action and providing equal employment opportunities for everyone. We strive to ensure that all individuals—regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status—are treated fairly and have access to the same opportunities in alignment with federal regulations

(Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974).

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. We’re here to help.