Paralegal, Immigration Legal Services

Jewish Family Service of San Diego • San Diego, CA

15h • Onsite

About The Position

JFS is looking for a compassionate, mission-driven individual to join the Immigration Legal Rights Program, Immigration Legal Services, team as the temporary Paralegal. Under the supervision of the Lead Paralegal, the temporary Paralegal is responsible for directly supporting the Immigrant Legal Rights Program (ILRP) staff. The temporary Paralegal supports with tasks related to legal representation to ILRP clients in immigration cases, which includes representation before EOIR, DHS, federal circuit courts, and state courts.

Requirements

• A passion for social justice for immigrants
• A passion for providing culturally competent, trauma-informed, services to noncitizens and newcomers in San Diego County, Imperial County, and generally in the San Diego border region, including but not limited Tijuana/Mexicali, Mexico
• Bachelor’s degree
• A paralegal certificate or equivalent experience
• 1-2 years of work experience in a nonprofit setting
• A willingness to attend immigration law trainings, including ethics trainings
• A minimum of 1 years of experience with immigration law
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including good communication and active listening skills
• Detail oriented and self-directed with strong oral and written communication skills in English
• An ability to record accurate data
• Strong relational skills and professional attitude
• Strong case management, legal research, and legal writing skills
• A demonstrated ability and willingness to zealously defend the rights of immigrants
• A demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure
• An ability to work both independently and in a group and with a team
• An ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekend
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task and organize in a fast paced and fluid environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft software including Excel, Word, and Outlook
• Program and project management experience and supervisory skills
• A passion for our mission and work

Nice To Haves

• Multilingual English/Arabic, Spanish, Farsi, Dari, Haitian Creole, French, Russian, and/or Portuguese – desired
• Experience working with immigrant populations and in multi-cultural settings
• Experience working with detained immigrants or other incarcerated populations
• Experience working with marginalized populations and survivors of trauma
• Dedication to serving immigrant communities with a sincere commitment to working on behalf of low-income immigrants
• A paralegal certificate or equivalent experience

Responsibilities

• Supporting with requests for case work assistance from ILRP attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives
• Communicate with representatives of Immigration Court and various DHS agencies to advocate for and schedule meetings for ILRP clients
• Manage all requests for services received by ILRP and coordinate the scheduling of legal screenings or dismissal of request, if applicant is not eligible for our services due to income or funding restrictions
• Support our Intake and Referral Coordinator with the management of our general immigration phone line and email addresses, and request for services via postal mail
• Provide and coordinate intakes for non-detained and detained potential ILRP clients
• Coordinate the organization of all physical and electronic files
• Help clients prepare immigration filings, including the completion of draft applications, motions, and declarations, for review by attorneys
• Assist attorney and DOJ Accredited Representatives with the filing of FOIA requests and affirmative applications for cases s/he is supporting
• Stay in constant communication with clients about the status of their pending immigration cases
• Interpret during meetings and translate documents if you speak another language
• Provide support to legal team with in-person visits to clients at Imperial Regional Detention Facility and Otay Mesa Detention Center. This will require flexibility in schedule as some of these visits may happen outside JFS business hours
• Support the Lead Paralegal with maintaining the waiting list for intakes for potential clients detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center; coordinate with Otay Mesa staff to schedule weekly intakes for ILRP
• Support with data entry for all ILRP cases
• Provide administrative support to the attorneys and DOJ Accredited Representatives, such as the completion of mailings, scheduling, reimbursements, and assistance to our other immigration programs, as needed
• Attend trainings on various aspects of immigration law to stay up to date with legal and policy changes

Benefits

• Comprehensive, low-cost healthcare coverage for employees (if working 30 hours or more)
• Employer-covered life insurance (if working 30 hours or more)
• Sick Pay – 1 hour for every 30 hours

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees