Paralegal, Detention Project, NIJC

About NIJC

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

Summary:

The detention project paralegal is a member of NIJC's detention project and is primarily responsible for conducting detention intake and providing case support (including research, case review, documentation preparation and other related tasks to support general operations and the work of staff and pro bono attorneys). The paralegal must be fluent in Spanish. The paralegal is encouraged to seek accreditation with the Department of Justice if appropriate.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Detention Intake, Case Screening & Case Support:
• Conduct intake interviews with detained non-citizens and their family members
• Present intake interviews for legal assessment
• In coordination with the assigned attorney, conduct legal and country-conditions research to assess claims and eligibility for immigration relief
• Staff weekly phone intake hotline
• Monitor and respond, as needed, to voicemails on the intake line outside of intake hours
• Manage and respond to mail and faxes from individuals in ICE custody
• Manage and respond to mail from non-citizens in state custody
• Respond to referrals from community and legal organizations seeking to refer detained cases. Prepare case acceptance packets and case closing letters for attorneys
• Organize and scan closed case files
• Prepare immigration cases for filing with attorneys
• Prepare affidavits and indexes; gather supporting documents
• Conduct country research and draft country conditions sections of filings
• Assist attorneys in preparation of pre-hearing statements
• Participate in trainings and review legal materials to remain current on immigration law, policies, and
• Any other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability .

• Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree with demonstrated experience working with immigrants, refugees and/or asylum seekers.  At least one year of experience working with these populations preferred.
• Language Skills: Fluency in Spanish is . Ability to communicate articulately with internal and external audiences.
• Other Qualifications: Excellent writing, editing, organizational and computer skills .  Ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and perform well under strict deadlines.

Physical Abilities Statement

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to undergo a comprehensive background check as part of the employment process. This background check will be conducted in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.

Salary

• $40,509.13 - $50,053/hour