Our Issues
What follows are thoughts about what NYLAG can be doing better. We want to hear from you! Please send any and all ideas to abetternylag@gmail.com.
CLIENT JUSTICE: EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION
Our clients deserve holistic services. We demand that NYLAG provide substantive onboarding training for new hires, in-depth training and support for management, and training by experienced paralegals for new paralegals. We deserve access to the resources necessary to provide our clients the highest level of legal advocacy, including easy-to-access translation services, sufficient office supplies, privacy, and extensive administrative support. We demand that NYLAG improve communication between units and simplify the internal referral process. We demand that NYLAG hire social workers and case managers for our clients.
PROMOTE DIVERSITY
NYLAG has a diversity problem. We need employee representation on hiring committees to ensure fairness and diversity are taken seriously in hiring. Our goal is to work with management to increase diversity in upper management and NYLAG staff generally, and to develop strategies for creating a more inclusive workplace for ourselves and our clients.
RESPECT PARALEGALS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
All administrative staff and paralegals deserve a step system and adequate compensation. Paralegals and support staff should receive overtime pay consistently. Non-attorney case handlers must be compensated appropriately for the work they do. Paralegals should be trusted with substantive work assignments. Paralegals and administrative staff should have a predictable workload.
FAIR COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
We demand that NYLAG’s salaries and benefits be at least commensurate with other legal services organizations in the city. Staff with language abilities, graduate degrees, and other relevant expertise should receive salary increases. There must be consistency in how employees are placed on the pay scales. Parental leave and part-time status should not interfere with seniority or eligibility for promotion. NYLAG’s health insurance must cover all forms of birth control and care for women and LGBTQ+ communities.
SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
NYLAG must prioritize staff job satisfaction to retain its workers, develop institutional knowledge, and build expertise. We demand job security, case caps, a work from home policy, and effective protection from harassment and discrimination. NYLAG should fund and encourage career development. We deserve an established grievance process for improper decisions made or inappropriate actions taken.
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Basic resources are inconsistently available, employees are treated disparately, and decisions are often made arbitrarily. We need to know how our work is funded, how caseloads are determined, where resources are being allocated, what qualifies us for promotions, and how desk assignments are made, among other issues. NYLAG staff should be involved with and aware of decision-making processes that affect our ability to do our work.