National Immigrant Justice Center
Paralegal, Asylum Project

Program Description:

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), a program of Heartland Alliance, provides direct legal services to, and advocates for, immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers through policy reform, impact litigation, and public education. Since its founding more than three decades ago, NIJC has been unique in blending individual client advocacy with broad-based systemic change. 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.

Position Summary:

The Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) Paralegal supports individual and general information sessions, self-help workshops, and pro bono referrals to immigrants in removal proceedings. This ICH paralegal position is housed in NIJC’s Asylum Project. The position supports NIJC’s response to the dynamic needs of pro se noncitizens who appear before the Chicago Immigration Court. Under the supervision of the ICH senior attorney, and in coordination with the rest of the ICH team, the paralegal will support implementation of NIJC’s response to the increasing number of asylum seekers seeking services through the ICH. The paralegal schedules and coordinates information sessions and self-help workshops, tracks and facilitates pro bono referrals, and provides general data entry for the ICH. The paralegal also assists in drafting of pro se forms and provides legal support during self-help workshops under the supervision of the program supervisor. The paralegal will identify and support pro asylum seekers, including those in the Asylum Merits Interview process. The paralegal will refer to legal service providers, including NIJC’s Asylum and Immigrant Legal Defense projects.

Additional responsibilities of this position involve: (1) working with attorneys to keep the project organized and on track for deadlines and responsibilities; (2) collecting and entering data; (3) preparing orientation/workshop materials and individual case files. Individual accountabilities and work volume will be established through the development of annual Success Objectives, within the framework outlined below.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide support to pro se immigrants appearing before the Chicago Immigration Court
• Coordinate legal information sessions and self-help workshops; organize event registration and volunteer and interpreter participation.
• Help disseminate information session and workshop information.
• Monitor feedback and evaluations; help develop best practices based on feedback.
• Document and track data related to information sessions, self-help workshops, and pro bono referrals in NIJC’s database.
• Respond to inquiries from partners, community members, and participants regarding NIJC’s services.
• Support NIJC’s ICH pro bono referrals.
• Conduct client intakes, document information in NIJC’s client database, communicate with potential clients regarding the supervisor’s legal assessment.
• Draft affidavits, complete immigration applications, and collect evidence in support of an application.
• Provide ongoing case management, including but not limited to mail responsibilities, opening/closing case files, responding to client inquiries, providing interpretation at client interviews, and other necessary tasks
• Maintains complete, thorough, accurate and current records in an organized fashion in accordance with legal standards, rules and ethics.
• Remains current on immigration law, policies and procedures. Assist with compiling data for and drafting reports to funders and other stakeholders and ensuring compliance across the project to funder guidelines.
• Advances an anti-racist organization that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion
• Reacts to change productively and handles other essential 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 required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Education and/or Experience: Bachelor’s degree and at least one year of experience in human rights field, legal and/or communications work required. Work done while the applicant was in school can be counted toward this requirement. This position may require experience with vulnerable populations. Demonstrated commitment to immigrants’ rights/human rights
• Language Skills: Fluency in English and Spanish is required. Ability to effectively interview clients and engage in fact-gathering for advocacy or litigation in a fast-paced environment.
• Technical Skills: Fluency in Microsoft Office especially Word and Excel; Ability to maintain and organize large quantities of information in an electronic database
• Attention to detail and accuracy: Ability to competently and effectively communicate orally and in writing for a variety of audiences; Ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently
• Client Confidentiality: Ability to maintain client confidentiality, account for client monies, and avoid conflicts of interest in accordance with organizational policies and ethical standards required of the legal profession and the code of professional responsibility.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; feel and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 5 pounds.

Work Environment:

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.

• The noise in the work environment is moderate.

Heartland Alliance makes all hiring and employment decisions, and operates all programs, services, and functions without regard to race, receipt of an order of protection, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veterans status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military, and family military rights, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the organization's AIDS Policy Statement of September 1987.