Program Assistant - Clinical, Pro Bono, and Externship Programs

The Program Assistant provides administrative and clerical support for the Pro Bono Program, the Externship Program, and the Clinical Program directors, faculty, and staff. Each of the Programs involves law students (and in some cases undergraduate or other graduate students) in the provision of legal or other services. The balance of duties will vary between the Programs throughout the calendar year dependent on the timing of major projects within each Program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Pro Bono Program Specific Duties:

Assists with the operations of the Identification Recovery Program operated by the Law School at Haven for Hope for individuals experiencing homelessness

Provides administrative support for the Identification Recovery Program, including records requests, record-keeping, reconciliation of receipts and cash balances, money order purchasing, and reimbursement requests for the program's operation; attends bi-monthly partner meetings at Haven for Hope

Assists in the development of and recruiting for pro bono opportunities for law students, which may include training of law student volunteers

Provides administrative support for other Pro Bono Program projects, including communication with participating students, promotion of Pro Bono events via social media, record-keeping of student participation, communication with community partners, assistance with planning, set up, and execution of events, and building and maintaining a resource bank of pro bono opportunities

Coordinates with other Law School offices that organize pro bono opportunities, including Campus Ministry, such as the Alternative Spring Break Program

Externship Program Specific Duties:

Provides administrative support for Externship student recruitment and registration, including communicating with prospective students, updating registration materials, and assisting students with the registration process; provides administrative support to leadership with ancillary projects, committees, or conferences

Provides administrative support for the Externship curriculum, including monitoring and following up on student assignment submissions, using Canvas or other software, and assisting students with software trouble-shooting, and support for efforts to expand the program

Provides administrative support in executing training sessions for Externship employer-supervisors along with the recruitment, coordination, training, and on-going support for Externship teaching assistants

Researches, contacts, and provides assistance regarding current or potential Externship employers, including communication about and tracking of employer postings and hiring; collaborates with our partners in the Office of Career Strategies, as needed.

Clinical Program Specific and Cross-Program Duties:

Provides administrative support to Clinic attorneys and paralegals; m ay assist with outreach activities or the provision of legal services under the supervision of an attorney

Attends regular collaborative meetings with community stakeholders, including meetings with members of the San Antonio legal services community; community collaboration calls with homeless services providers; and statewide calls with advocates across Texas

Attends community events, to include occasional evening and weekend events

Assists in maintaining website, Canvas pages, social media pages, email distribution systems, and other communication methods, and in the production and updating of program descriptions, publications, and recruiting materials for the Programs

Assists in maintaining electronic and paper filing systems and databases for the Programs

Provides notary services

Prepares and modifies Program documents including reports, memos, forms, templates, inventories, lists, announcements, notices, and other communications or records for the Programs, including the expense management process for the University purchasing cards used by the Director(s)

Interacts with and maintains a positive working relationship with other departments of the University, community partners, volunteers, and students for the Programs

May be responsible for a portion of shifts shared by or rotated among the Programs' staff, including but not limited special event staffing and staffing during University closures including winter break

Performs other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

High school diploma required; Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent recruiting, program coordination, and/or marketing experience.

Volunteer management experience preferred; Community organizing, community education, and/or advocacy experience preferred

Must clear and maintain a favorable background investigation and clearance

Must have valid driver's license, motor vehicle liability insurance, and personal injury insurance; or have a self-reliant source of transportation to conduct business on a daily basis

Must not be a "relative" including a former or current spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, first cousin, nephew, niece, in-law, step relative, domestic partner (persons whose lives are interdependent and who share a common residence), or domestic partner's daughter or son of a member of the University Board of Trustees, CLSJ Executive positions, University or Law School Finance Executive positions, University Human Resources Executive positions or comparable positions within the University with different working titles yet performing substantially similar functions

Must have the ability to demonstrate intermediate level skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook and PowerPoint) including experience with virtual platforms such as Zoom and applicable case management software

Must be able to work some nights, weekends, travel, and attend special events as needed

Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong public relations and customer service skills with an ability to implement diplomacy and discretion at all times; ability to work effectively with communities across the university

Must have high ethical standards and a strong sense of confidentiality; ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines; thrive in a complex work environment; display solid problem solving and interpersonal skills; work well independently and as part of a team

Must have ability to demonstrate attention to detail and be able to organize workflow, coordinate activities, balance simultaneous projects without loss of efficiency in a multi-tasked environment, and manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines

Bilingual Preferred (English/Spanish with the ability to understand and to make one's self understood to Spanish speaking individuals)

Demonstrated sensitivity towards indigent clients and a commitment to working with low-income groups

Demonstrated ability to work in a law office setting with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Working conditions are in an office environment and university campus setting; must be able to move across the university campus to conduct day to day business

While performing this role, the employee will be regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk and hear, both in person and by telephone; and use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds

Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus

Frequently communicates with others using approved technological resources; must be able to exchange accurate information through designated systems within a timely manner

Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

St. Mary's University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Equal Opportunity Employer.