Legal Assistant

Position Summary

Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB) provides high‑quality, affordable immigration legal services in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The Legal Assistant works as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team – attorneys, DOJ‑Accredited Representatives, paralegals, law‑student interns, and support staff. The role supports best practices in legal case management, outreach, fee processing, database management, and volunteer coordination across CCEB’s three Immigration Legal Services offices, based in the Richmond office.

Daily duties include intake, payment processing, document translation, file management, and case reporting. Periodic travel to other office locations may be required for team meetings and case rounds.

Reports to: Program Manager of Immigration Legal Services

Supervisory Responsibility: May supervise interns and volunteers as assigned by the Program Manager or Managing Attorney of Immigration Legal Services.

• Answer phone calls, voicemails, walk‑in questions, and online requests; schedule appointments.
• Enter data on client notes, census/demographic data, and receipt notices.
• Open all mail and provide administrative support to Immigration Legal Services staff at all offices, including translations, copying, filing with USCIS, and entering mailing information into client data management systems.
• Work with Administrative Coordinators and assist staff with client services by accepting payments, filing weekly deposits, recording all billing transactions, and notifying clients of amounts due.
• Prepare and file monthly and annual reports on office performance.
• Assist the Program Manager and Managing Attorney with periodic reports, program metrics, and performance indicators required by funders or agency leadership.
• Provide client support during consultations, workshops, and legal clinics, including intake, file preparation, fee collection, issuance of receipts, and follow‑up communication.
• Close case files and maintain closed cases according to office policy, including deadline tracking.
• Ensure accurate data collection and reporting for all Immigration Legal Services programs in accordance with grants and funding requirements.
• Coordinate legal services outreach at local events and with other service providers.
• Maintain a small client caseload primarily of citizenship and deferred action cases.
• Participate in ongoing training on immigration law updates, cultural competency, and ethical standards as required by Catholic Charities and the DOJ Recognition & Accreditation guidelines.
• Order supplies as needed.

• Associate or bachelor’s degree, or equivalent university‑level education in legal studies, social sciences, public administration, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of experience providing administrative support in a professional office environment.
• Prior experience working in immigration legal services, community nonprofits, or client‑service environments preferred.
• Experience with data entry and reporting using software.
• Strong administrative, organizational, interpersonal, verbal communication, writing, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated strong leadership skills.
• Valid CA driver’s license and personal vehicle; potential travel to hearings, interviews, etc.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, and database software; ability to scan, edit, and create PDF files; experience with shared folders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; bilingual fluency (Spanish, Vietnamese, or other common Bay Area immigrant languages) highly desirable.

• Respects the dignity of others; works collegially and builds effective teams.
• Values quality improvement; manages overlapping projects and deadlines; adapts to conflict, crisis, or changing priorities.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills; manages multiple projects, deadlines, and data sources with minimal supervision.
• Committed to diversity and inclusion; values diverse perspectives and encourages contributions from all team members.
• Thrives in a flexible, fast‑paced, accredited, growth‑oriented environment with a positive, solution‑oriented approach.
• Processes large amounts of data from multiple sources; prioritizes across multiple work types; coordinates the work of others.
• Exhibits independent judgment; networks and interacts internally and externally.
• Experienced in serving clients from many different cultures.

Entry level

Full‑time

Legal