Legal Assistant, Children's Legal Services

Overview

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people affected by conflict and disaster. IRC is one of the world s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), with work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities. If you are a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, join us to positively impact the lives of millions.

JOB OVERVIEW

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking two bilingual Legal Assistants to join its Children’s Legal Services program in its Sea Tac, WA office. The Children’s Legal Services program provides legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children who have been released from the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or are residing in local Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) programs.

The Legal Assistant will support the Children’s Legal Services program’s attorneys to coordinate client referrals, interview unaccompanied children clients to identify options for asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile classification, or other forms of humanitarian relief; assist with preparing and filing immigration applications and petitions; and complete program data and recordkeeping administrative tasks.

The ideal candidates will have stellar interpersonal and trauma-informed listening skills, especially with children of all ages; be highly organized and have excellent attention to detail; and be able to work both in a collaborative team environment and independently on assignments.

These positions are anticipated to be funded through July 31, 2026. Continuation is subject to ongoing funding availability.

• Coordinate and receive case referrals, set up new case files (both electronic and hard copy), record referrals, and set up initial client meetings with attorneys.
• Assist in conducting intakes or follow-up meetings with unaccompanied child clients released to sponsors in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties or residing in an URM program in Western Washington; interpret at meetings as needed, and gather supporting documents. Some meetings require local travel.
• Assist in preparing filings for the Seattle Immigration Court, Washington State Courts, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• Communicate with clients to schedule appointments, provide case status updates as directed by the attorneys, request documents and other information, schedule appointments, and manage other communications as needed.
• Prepare affidavits, legal correspondence, and other documents for the CLS program’s attorneys.
• Translate documents from Spanish to English and client communications from English to Spanish.
• Interpret for client meetings or phone calls, as needed.
• Process and record daily mail; assist with monthly data reporting submissions and checking; prepare monthly invoicing documentation; track deadlines for the Children’s Legal Services team; and prepare monthly reports as needed.
• Coordinate with other IRC program staff and community partners to refer clients for wrap-around services, where appropriate, and prepare referral packages for children who move out of local jurisdiction.
• Provide interpretation for clients at USCIS interviews, as needed.

Reports to: Supervising Attorney, Children’s Legal Services

• Bachelor’s degree or 3 years’ experience/ knowledge in the field of immigration law or child welfare, family, or juvenile justice law.
• Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking both Spanish and English required.
• Experience in a legal setting highly desirable, but not required;
• Lived experience with the immigration legal system highly desired, but not required;
• Experience working with children highly desirable, but not required;
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to multi-task, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment;
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, solve problems and exercise sound judgement;
• Evidence of capacity to be a strong team member in a highly collaborative social services environment;
• Deep commitment to working with immigrants, children,…