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Job Description
Indiana Legal Services, Inc.
Job Announcement
Bilingual Outreach Paralegal
AGENCY DESCRIPTION: Indiana Legal Services, Inc. (ILS) is a statewide, not-for-profit organization that provides free legal services to eligible clients in civil cases through 8 branch offices. ILS is funded by the Legal Services Corporation, Indiana Civil Legal Aid Fund, United Ways, Area Agencies on Aging, Lilly Endowment and approximately 60 other funding sources.
The bilingual outreach paralegal would be part of ILS’s statewide program that provides know-your-rights education to vulnerable communities, including immigrants, migrant farmworkers, and human trafficking survivors, and provides advice, brief services, and/or direct representation to clients on matters related to their employment or exploitation.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: ILS is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, which allows us to serve our staff and client community in a meaningful, impactful way. We engage in training and conversations to discover and address injustices that affect our clients, communities, and staff. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any category protected by law.
LOCATION: This position provides services statewide; therefore, the applicant could be located near any regional office in the state. Some of the duties of the position may be performed remotely. The person who fills the role will be required to come into the ILS office whose service area is closest to the person’s location to complete paralegal work and/or grant reporting as needed, and to occasionally come to the Indianapolis office for all ILS-staff training. This position will require extensive travel throughout the state of Indiana and work in the events and/or on weekends during the outreach season.
JOB SUMMARY: This is a full-time bilingual outreach paralegal position. In collaboration with colleagues, the outreach paralegal will primarily focus on community engagement: developing community legal education materials; training migrant, seasonal, and immigrant farmworkers; collaborating with local community programs; and conducting in-person outreach and legal screenings at migrant labor camps and community events throughout Indiana. The outreach paralegal will develop outreach plans, provide guidance to summer student interns, and maintain records and reporting about the outreach activities using computer applications. The paralegal will also assist the legal team with all aspects of their work such as the development of legal documents, correspondence with parties, scheduling, interpreting/translating, and communicating directly with clients.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Coordinate outreach trips with staff, summer interns, volunteers, and/or community partners
- Conduct in-person visits throughout the state to labor camps, laundromats, local stores, and other gathering places to share information about workers’ rights, labor exploitation, and labor trafficking
- Develop collaborative working relationships with social service providers, client groups, and other resources in target communities to address labor exploitation and trafficking
- Conduct community trainings that provide information about how to assist and identify labor trafficking victims
- Represent the project in the community by attending outreach events, network with other service providers, and serve on task forces or committees as appropriate
- In collaboration with colleagues, develop a plan to reach migrant and seasonal agriculture workers by researching locations where farmworkers gather in remote locations of Indiana
- Under staff supervision, make appropriate referrals for legal assistance
- Assist attorneys and other staff with intake, case work, referrals, client follow up, etc.
- Interview clients, write declarations, and organize information in both physical and electronic files
- Draft immigration forms, pleadings, letters, and correspondence under the supervision of an attorney
- If proper certification through ILS’s third-party testing entity is obtained, perform document translations
- If proper certification through ILS’s third-party testing entity is obtained, serve as an interpreter for ILS staff.
- Collaborate with staff and assist with planning for the CORT migrant farmworker training to be hosted in Indiana every 3 years
- Monitor and complete grant reporting requirements including but not limited to outreach narrative drafting
- Perform other such duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Dedicated to the mission of Indiana Legal Services
- A demonstrated commitment to racial equity, social and economic justice, migrant/immigrant worker rights, and serving disadvantaged populations
- Spanish language fluency, including excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and Spanish
- Basic computer skills, including use of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint and ability to use reporting technology and case file management systems
- Strong organizational skills
- Ability and willingness to travel
- Ability and willingness to work evenings during the agricultural seasons
- Must possess a valid Indiana State Driver’s License
- Ability to multi-task and handle multiple projects simultaneously and in an organized manner
- Ability to maintain client confidentiality
- College degree, paralegal certification, and/or experience working in a law office is preferred
COMPENSATION: Starting salary is $44,185, with a range up to a maximum of $58,994, depending on experience. Pay enhancement up to $4000 is available upon successful completion of language testing. ILS offers an excellent fringe benefits package including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, Rx), disability insurance, life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and a flex benefit plan.
To Apply: Please apply on our website by submitting a resume and a list of 3 references with email addresses and telephone numbers. https://www.indianalegalservices.org/careers/ For questions regarding your application contact Human Resources at human.resources@ilsi.net.
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