Paralegal - Immigration Impact Unit, Private Counsel Division

Committee for Public Counsel • Malden, MA

12d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Immigration Impact Unit of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency of Massachusetts, is seeking a paralegal to work as part of the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI). Under the direction of the Supervising Attorneys, the paralegal will support MACI Staff Attorneys and Supervising Attorneys in their direct representation of individuals in removal proceedings. CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters. The Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI) office located within the IIU will be a new legal services program for immigration representation that will embrace the tenets of public defense and universal representation to provide zealous, holistic, and client centered representation. The MACI-IIU office will provide full-scope representation to people in removal proceedings, both detained and non-detained. The office will set standards of practice and create training to increase the capacity for removal defense representation within Massachusetts. The Immigration Impact Unit is seeking a paralegal to work as part of the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI). Under the direction of the Supervising Attorneys, the paralegal will support MACI staff attorneys and supervising attorneys in their direct representation of individuals in removal proceedings. The paralegal will support both detained and non-detained clients in removal and bond proceedings before the Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, related proceedings before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") and, when appropriate, in Federal Court. Please note, these positions are contingent on grant-funding from the Governor’s Office for Immigrant and Refugees. Funding for this position is only guaranteed for the duration of the grant period. While it is anticipated that additional funding may be awarded, that is not guaranteed.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree or Paralegal certificate
• Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely
• Two years of paralegal experience may be substituted for the degree/certificate
• Commitment to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population
• Experience interviewing clients and evaluating relevant information from clients and families
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure
• Detailed oriented and able to work on multiple projects (clients) under tight deadlines
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to organize and prioritize caseloads, calendars and work assignments
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of and/or experience in immigration law preferred
• Proficiency in language(s) other than English preferred

Responsibilities

• Preparing and reviewing immigration forms with clients
• Collecting and organizing necessary supporting documents from clients and family
• Drafting affidavits with clients, friends, and family for use in immigration proceedings
• Assisting in client communication and correspondence, attending client visits in detention centers
• Gathering, organizing and analyzing information and legal documents for attorney review and case preparation
• Conducting legal and country conditions research as requested by attorneys
• Monitoring case progress
• Assisting in data collection for grant reporting purposes
• Other duties as assigned

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level