Paralegal, Immigration Legal Services

Position Title: Paralegal

Organization: Jewish Family Service of San Diego

Department: Immigration Legal Services

Position Type: Temporary, 37.5 Hours per week, Non-Exempt

Work Setting: Fully Onsite

Reports To: Lead Paralegal

Pay Range: $23-$26/hour

Total Compensation:

In addition to standard pay, compensation for this position includes:

• Comprehensive, low-cost healthcare coverage for employees (if working 30 hours or more)
• Employer-covered life insurance (if working 30 hours or more)

Time Away from Work:

Being able to take time away from work is critical in bringing your best self to work. Time off benefits for this position include:

• Sick Pay – 1 hour for every 30 hours  

Please Note: This position is temporary; you will only receive state minimum of sick time and it does not include vacation or 401K benefits.

Position Overview:

JFS is looking for a compassionate, mission-driven individual to join the Immigration Legal Rights Program, Immigration Legal Services,  team as the temporary Paralegal. Under the supervision of the Lead Paralegal, the temporary Paralegal is responsible for directly supporting the Immigrant Legal Rights Program (ILRP) staff. The temporary Paralegal supports with tasks related to legal representation to ILRP clients in immigration cases, which includes representation before EOIR, DHS, federal circuit courts, and state courts.

Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of Lead Paralegal, the temporary Paralegal will be responsible for:

• Supporting with requests for case work assistance from ILRP attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives
• Communicate with representatives of Immigration Court and various DHS agencies to advocate for and schedule meetings for ILRP clients
• Manage all requests for services received by ILRP and coordinate the scheduling of legal screenings or dismissal of request, if applicant is not eligible for our services due to income or funding restrictions
• Support our Intake and Referral Coordinator with the management of our general immigration phone line and email addresses, and request for services via postal mail
• Provide and coordinate intakes for non-detained and detained potential ILRP clients
• Coordinate the organization of all physical and electronic files
• Help clients prepare immigration filings, including the completion of draft applications, motions, and declarations, for review by attorneys
• Assist attorney and DOJ Accredited Representatives with the filing of FOIA requests and affirmative applications for cases s/he is supporting
• Stay in constant communication with clients about the status of their pending immigration cases
• Interpret during meetings and translate documents if you speak another language
• Provide support to legal team with in-person visits to clients at Imperial Regional Detention Facility and Otay Mesa Detention Center. This will require flexibility in schedule as some of these visits may happen outside JFS business hours
• Support the Lead Paralegal with maintaining the waiting list for intakes for potential clients detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center; coordinate with Otay Mesa staff to schedule weekly intakes for ILRP
• Support with data entry for all ILRP cases
• Provide administrative support to the attorneys and DOJ Accredited Representatives, such as the completion of mailings, scheduling, reimbursements, and assistance to our other immigration programs, as needed
• Attend trainings on various aspects of immigration law to stay up to date with legal and policy changes

Skills/Experience/Abilities That Are a Must-Have:

• A passion for social justice for immigrants
• A passion for providing culturally competent, trauma-informed, services to noncitizens and newcomers in San Diego County, Imperial County, and generally in the San Diego border region, including but not limited Tijuana/Mexicali, Mexico
• Bachelor’s degree
• A paralegal certificate or equivalent experience
• 1-2 years of work experience in a nonprofit setting
• A willingness to attend immigration law trainings, including ethics trainings
• A minimum of 1 years of experience with immigration law
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including good communication and active listening skills
• Detail oriented and self-directed with strong oral and written communication skills in English
• An ability to record accurate data
• Strong re