Paralegal Casehandler, Immigration Law Unit- Youth Project

The Legal Aid Society's Civil Practice is seeking a Paralegal Case handler with a strong work ethic and a deep commitment to public interest to join the citywide Immigration Law Unit's Immigrant Youth Representation Project (Youth Project). The Paralegal Case handler will be part of an inter-disciplinary legal team that includes attorneys, paralegals and social workers, working closely to address the needs of unaccompanied minor children and other minor non-citizens to secure the bestcase outcome.

The Paralegal Case handler will collaborate with project attorneys, paralegals and social workers with case support, litigation assistance, advocacy efforts and assist clients in connecting them with community-based organizations to support their long-term success. The Legal Aid Society participates in the Immigrant Children Advocates' Relief Effort (ICARE) coalition, which provides direct legal representation, comprehensive advice, social, health, and mental health services, and advocacy to vulnerable youth in removal proceedings.

The Paralegal Case handler will actively participate in the Youth Project's work with the ICARE Coalition and partners as well as our Legal Clinic Program that works with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status-eligible youth and vulnerable families. The Paralegal Case handler will also assist the Supervising Attorney with project-based case data reports. A minimum two-year commitment is required to enable the paralegal case handler, if there is demonstrated interest, to apply to become partially accredited through the Department of Justice (DOJ) with privileges to practice before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The Immigration Law Unit of The Legal Aid Society is a recognized leader in the delivery of high-quality legal services to immigrants in all five boroughs of New York City and surrounding counties within the New York District of the USCIS. The Unit provides low-income New Yorkers with free comprehensive immigration services ranging from deportation defense to adjustment of status to legal permanent residence and citizenship applications.

The Unit specializes in the intersection between immigration and criminal law as well as immigration and family law and works collaboratively with all practice areas to serve the Society's diverse immigrant clients through a comprehensive service model. Unit staff represent immigrants before USCIS, immigration judges in removal proceedings, and the Board of Immigration Appeals, as well as in federal court on habeas corpus petitions, petitions for review, administrative and judicial appeals, and other matters.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide support to staff attorneys and supervising attorneys in the Youth Project
• Assist with litigation tasks, such as drafting affidavits, preparing family court petitions, compiling motions, and assisting with arranging for service of process
• Assist in fact development by meeting with clients, contacting family members in the United States and abroad, and gathering information and documentation from clients and appropriate agencies
• Screen, interview, assess, and provide direct assistance to clients under attorney supervision
• Assist attorneys in preparing applications for immigration relief on behalf of immigrant clients
• Upon becoming a partially accredited representative, handle a reasonable volume of individual immigration applications
• Maintain and update case management database
• Coordinate the Legal Aid Society's participation in the ICARE Coalition
• The position may require off-site travel for discrete tasks, subject to availability

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Eligible candidates must have at least one of the following:
  • A bachelor's degree (strongly preferred)
  • A paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited paralegal program
  • At minimum, a high school diploma / GED and 4+ years of legal work experience
  • 4+ years of combined higher education and legal work experience
• Excellent writing, verbal, organizational, and computer skills
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team
• Ability to work efficiently and under time constraints to meet deadlines for multiple attorneys
• Ability to manage a reasonable volume of cases and solve problems creatively
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• Commitment to protecting the rights of low-income clients

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people, immigrants, and children is strongly desired
• Knowledge of immigration law is strongly desired
• Experience preparing immigration applications is strongly desired
• Proficiency in Spanish or French is strongly desired
• Experience assisting people in crisis is desired

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and…