Paralegal, Denention Project, NIJC
About The Position
The detention project paralegal is a member of the National Immigrant Justice Center’s (NIJC) detention project. The role primarily involves conducting detention intake and providing case support, including research, case review, documentation preparation, and related tasks that support the project’s operations and the work of staff and pro bono attorneys. The paralegal is encouraged to seek accreditation with the Department of Justice if appropriate. NIJC advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. It is headquartered in Chicago and has offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego. NIJC has a team of over 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, as well as 2,500 pro bono attorneys. The position requires regular communication with clients in Spanish, and candidates must be proficient in spoken and written Spanish. The work environment may involve remaining stationary, moving within an office to access files and equipment, and regularly operating a computer and other office machinery.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree.
- Demonstrated experience working with immigrants, refugees, and/or asylum seekers.
- Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish; the role requires regular communication with clients in Spanish.
- Strong legal research and writing skills.
- Excellent writing, editing, organizational, and computer skills.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and perform well under strict deadlines.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, work independently, and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with varied situations where standardization is limited.
- Ability to interpret instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
Nice To Haves
- At least one year of experience working with immigrants, refugees, and/or asylum seekers is preferred.
- Seeking Department of Justice accreditation if appropriate.
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 the weekly phone intake hotline.
- Monitor and respond, as needed, to voicemails on the intake line outside 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 and gather supporting documents.
- Conduct country research and draft country-conditions sections of filings.
- Assist attorneys in preparing pre-hearing statements.
- Participate in trainings and review legal materials to remain current on immigration law and policies.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
