Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) seeks a paralegal to work with our Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) project in San Antonio. Our MLP is an exciting opportunity to work with medical professionals to improve the health and well-being of low-income families. The MLP is based on a national medical-legal partnership model which places lawyers in a clinical setting to facilitate the provision of legal services crucial to vulnerable patient-families. MLP model takes a holistic approach to help families to overcome some social determinants that can harm their health. Some of the MLP’s priority areas will include, but not be exclusively, education, public benefits, and housing.

In addition to providing legal services to indigent families, MLP will assist in educating medical professionals about the importance of legal services to the health and how medical professionals can work with lawyers to improve their ability to help their patients.

Some local and regional travel may be required to meet with clients unable to meet at the office and to conduct educational workshops with community organizations.

Although the paralegal will focus on priority areas, they can expect to provide some assistance on matters related to other areas of law as these involve MLP clients.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide direct representation of clients in administrative or judicial proceedings as Person-in-Charge of individual cases; 

• Maintain a client caseload, exercising the independent professional judgment required of an advocate on all aspects of each individual case; 

• Operate under the supervision of a Team Manager or Branch Manager; 

• Conduct eligibility and substantive interviews in person and by telephone, which interviews may at times take place outside the regular office setting; 

• Provide basic information and referrals to applicants, including those who are ineligible for services;

• Interview clients and witnesses; 

• Conduct follow-up of assigned cases, including investigating facts and researching law; 

• Serve process and subpoenas; 

• Prepare legal documents; 

• Oversee legal clinics; 

• Notarize legal documents; 

• Attend and participate in community group meetings and educational forums to conduct intake and make community legal education presentations; 

• Prepare legal educational materials; 

• Translate written documents and oral communications in Spanish and English; 

• Maintain accurate and complete client files and administrative records, including data entry into client database and other requirements;

• Prepare administrative reports required by TRLA; 

• Work collaboratively with MLP staff, MLP partners, and others in the community;  

• Any other duties required by the branch, office, or team manager. 

This is an in-person position, and regular, on-site attendance is considered an essential function of the role. While TRLA supports flexibility and may allow occasional remote work where appropriate and with prior approval, consistent in-person attendance is expected.

• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

• Possess verbal, reading and writing skills sufficient to comprehend administrative law manuals and to adequately advocate on behalf of clients.