Litigation Paralegal NIJC

National Immigrant Justice Center•Chicago, IL

10d

About The Position

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of over 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,500 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform. Job Summary: As part of NIJC's federal litigation project, the paralegals are responsible for maintaining client case files, tracking case activity in Legal Server, communicating with clients on a regular basis, and interviewing clients and potential plaintiffs as assigned, and providing support for litigation filings, including cite checking.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Fluency in Spanish required.
Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential.
Excellent writing, editing, organizational, and computer skills.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Legal Skills: Experience analyzing the impact of laws on vulnerable populations and advocating for improved laws and policies. Strong legal research and writing skills. Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, work independently, and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Technology Knowledge/Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with immigrants, refugees, or asylum seekers preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintains complete, thorough, accurate, and current records in an organized fashion in accordance with legal standards, rules, and ethics.
Utilize the federal court docketing system for purposes of internal file maintenance.
Utilize Legal Server for accurate tracking of litigation related matters.
Following BlueBook and other style guide requirements, cite checking and formatting federal court filings.
Conducts interviews with clients, potential plaintiffs or class members, and witnesses.
Drafts applications, affidavits, letters and/or legal pleadings and prepares supporting documentation.
Prepares materials for submission to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Court, or other entities as appropriate.
Remains current on immigration law, policies, and procedures.
Ensures the accuracy, substance, and timeliness of statistical and narrative reports, projects, schedules, and other relevant work products.
In accordance with organizational policies and the ethical standards required of the legal profession, the Code of Professional Responsibility preserves client confidentiality, accounts for client monies, and avoids conflicts of interest.
Other duties may be assigned.