Paralegal Client Advocate, Juvenile Rights Trial Office

The Juvenile Rights Practice is seeking an experienced Paralegal Client Advocate to work on immigration needs for Juvenile Rights clients. The Paralegal Client Advocate (PCA) is part of an interdisciplinary team of lawyers, social workers, and other supporting roles that will work on the legal representation of children, ages 0 to 21 years, who are before NYC family courts on child protective, PINS (Persons-In-Need-of-Supervision), juvenile delinquency, and termination of parental rights petitions. The PCA will handle citywide immigration matters with an interdisciplinary team.

A minimum two-year commitment is required to enable the PCA to become a Board of Immigration Appeals Partial Accredited Representative with privileges to practice before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide support in compiling application packets, conducting factual and legal research, and performing other administrative tasks as assigned such as compiling country conditions for asylum applications and obtaining clients’ records from agencies
• Assist with litigation tasks, such as drafting affidavits and compiling motions
• Assist in fact development by meeting with clients, contacting family members abroad, and gathering information and documentation from clients and appropriate agencies Interview, assess, and provide direct assistance to clients under attorney supervision
• Prepare immigration relief applications on behalf of immigrant clients, including but not limited to forms: I-360, Classification as a Special Immigrant Juvenile; I-765, Applications for Employment Authorization; I-912 Fee Waiver; I-485, Application for Permanent Residence; I- 918, U-Visa Application, I-589, Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal, etc
• Complete and manage a reasonable volume of individual immigration applications
• Respond and address emergent immigration policies that effect clients
• Maintain and update case management database
• Liaise with court officials and other stakeholders to ensure clients' immigration needs are met
• Assist with motion practice, requiring advanced writing skills and legal understanding
• Monitor compliance with court orders and support clients through the immigration process
• Support organizational initiatives to create a uniform practice across all boroughs
• Collaborate and communicate in an interdisciplinary environment
• Participate in training modules and contribute to the professional development of interdisciplinary teams
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Eligible candidates must have at least one of the following:
  • A bachelor’s degree (strongly preferred)
  • A paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited paralegal program
• Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people, immigrants, and children
• Demonstrated skills in advocacy and interviewing
• Experience assisting people in crisis

Preferred qualifications: 

• Knowledge of immigration law is strongly desired
• Experience preparing immigration applications is strongly desired
• Ability to manage a reasonable volume of cases and solve problems creatively
• Ability to work efficiently and under time constraints to meet deadlines
• Ability to work in and value collaborative team model  
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills 
• Excellent research, writing, and computer skills 
• Proficiency in other languages, particularly Spanish language, is strongly desired

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $64,307 - $98,477

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below. 

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume 

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.