Paralegal,Denention Project, NIJC
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. The detention project paralegal is a member of NIJC's detention project and is primarily responsible for conducting detention intake and providing case support (including research, case review, documentation preparation and other related tasks to support general operations and the work of staff and pro bono attorneys). The paralegal is encouraged to seek accreditation with the Department of Justice if appropriate.
Requirements
- Demonstrated experience working with immigrants, refugees and/or asylum seekers.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
- Excellent writing, editing, organizational and computer skills required.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and perform well under strict deadlines.
- Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written Spanish.
- 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.
- 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.
Nice To Haves
- At least one year of experience working with these populations is preferred.
Responsibilities
- Conduct intake interviews with detained non-citizens and their family members
- Present intake interviews for legal assessment
- In coordination with the assigned attorney, conduct legal and country-conditions research to assess claims and eligibility for immigration relief
- Staff weekly phone intake hotline
- Monitor and respond, as needed, to voicemails on the intake line outside of intake hours
- Manage and respond to mail and faxes from individuals in ICE custody
- Manage and respond to mail from non-citizens in state custody
- Respond to referrals from community and legal organizations seeking to refer detained cases. Prepare case acceptance packets and case closing letters for attorneys
- Organize and scan closed case files
- Prepare immigration cases for filing with attorneys
- Prepare affidavits and indexes; gather supporting documents
- Conduct country research and draft country conditions sections of filings
- Assist attorneys in preparation of pre-hearing statements
- Participate in trainings and review legal materials to remain current on immigration law, policies
- Any other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
