Administrative Assistant, Padilla Team

Brooklyn Defender Services•New York, NY

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is seeking an Administrative Assistant to join their Padilla Team in the Criminal Defense Practice in Brooklyn. BDS is a public defense office that has been representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters for nearly 30 years. They focus on changing laws and systems that perpetuate injustice and inequality, particularly at the intersections of legal systems that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities living in poverty. The Padilla Team specializes in the intersection of criminal and immigration law, advising criminal defense colleagues and clients on the immigration law consequences of criminal cases. The Administrative Assistant will provide administrative support to the Padilla Team to help them advise clients on immigration consequences, maintain family unity, and obtain lawful immigration status.

Requirements

At least two (2) years of administrative or related experience, preferably in a legal environment or in an organization serving immigrant communities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel) and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Experience with case management systems and cloud-based document storage; familiarity with Salesforce-based platforms preferred.
Strong organizational skills, with ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines with accuracy and attention to detail.
Demonstrated ability to effectively prioritize and manage competing tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Good interpersonal and communication skills.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team and interdisciplinary environment to support client and case goals.

Nice To Haves

Fluency or high proficiency in Spanish preferred.
Fluency or high proficiency in additional languages including Haitian Creole, Russian, Mandarin, or Cantonese is a plus.

Responsibilities

Open, update, and close cases, and maintain data quality, in Salesforce-based case management system.
Review and assign incoming case referrals, identifying and prioritized urgent issues.
Generate individual and practice wide reports, such as pending caseloads, intake and referral trends, and disposition and outcome information.
Ensure digital document storage locations are correctly synced with individual cases.
Organize paper and digital files. Prepare closed files for off-site storage.
Answer phone calls and other communications.
Schedule meetings and appointments. Maintain the team calendar, including on-call assignments and intake schedules.
Communicate with staff about case assignments, schedules, etc.
Sort and scan incoming mail, including time-sensitive documents from courts, clients, and immigration agencies. Send out mail.
Compile, copy, scan, and mail or deliver legal submissions prepared by the attorney or paralegal.
Submit records requests to state and federal courts and agencies, including through the Freedom of Information Act. Request records from hospitals and other entities.
Pick up documents in person from local courts and other agencies.
Participate in team meetings, presentations, and trainings.
Additional duties as assigned.