Position Title: Part-Time Bilingual Legal Assistant | Reports To: Managing Counsel | Worksite: Norristown, PA | Hours: Part Time 20-30 Hours Per Week, some evenings and weekend events may be required.
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION: Justice For Our Neighbors of the Delaware Valley (JFON-DV) provides immigration legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Southeast Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Peninsula Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, especially to those who are most vulnerable, rural farmworkers. It was founded in 2019 to develop a practical response to the legal challenges immigrants face in the U.S. As a community-based 501(c)(3) organization (pending) located in Norristown, PA, JFON-DV provides low-cost and no-cost immigration legal services to hundreds of low-income immigrants and refugees of all faiths and nationalities. Through direct services and collaborative strategies, JFON-DV will empower immigrants to build their own capacity and resources to become more self-sufficient, stable, and independent. In addition to direct legal services, JFON-DV educates community leaders, organizations, and potential clients through presentations about immigration law and policies.
JFON-DV is an equal opportunity employer. JFON-DV does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
Position: JFON-DV is seeking a part-time Legal Assistant. Legal Assistant is responsible for providing legal support to the Executive Director and the Managing Counsel and volunteer legal professionals (Attorneys), as well as administrative assistance in the JFON-DV Office. The Assistant will support the Managing Counsel, other Legal Assistants, and Attorneys with casework and internal legal team communication and coordination. Under the supervision of the Executive Director and the Managing Counsel, the Assistant will carry out assigned tasks to maintain efficient, high-quality legal office operations for JFON-DV and act as back-up support to reception and hotline activities.
MAJOR DUTIES OF THE POSITION:
1. Legal Service Support
- Under the supervision of Managing Counsel, assist in preparing forms, statements, affidavits, cover letters, motions, petitions, briefs, and appeals.
- Perform research related to client casework, including, obtaining statistics and information related in general to any immigration issue, and reviewing government-based websites related to immigration law or policy.
- Translate forms, letters, declarations, and foreign documents from Spanish to English and English to Spanish.
- Prepare for USCIS interviews, including, general file review and summary, English to Spanish and Spanish to English interpreting, drafting of witness questions and trial preparation documents, and attendance at both interviews and hearings when necessary.
- Assist with client communication in English and Spanish, and document client interactions and case progress updates in the client case management system.
- Assist in making copies and scans, organizing and maintaining case files, and mailing applications to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as directed.
2. Administrative Support
- Support the Executive Director and the Managing Counsel with special directives and action steps resulting from internal legal team task force meetings
- Assist in maintaining internal procedures manual for JFON-DV legal services.
- Provide secondary support with other organizational operations tasks including reception coverage support and intake hotline support as needed.
- Assist with preparing, tracking, copying and sending outgoing mail when necessary
- Assist in coordinating, preparing for, and overseeing periodic Immigration Clinics (intake events) that will occur off-site in host churches and communities.
- Assist in coordinating JFON-DV intern and volunteer projects.
- In collaboration with Operations Team and Regional Advisory Councils, assist in planning, coordinating, and executing special projects such as digitalizing client files and storing them effectively.
3. Special Projects
- Occasionally be requested to assist other staff members with duties as assigned.
- Represent JFON-DV at community events and functions, when assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Fluency in English and Spanish is a job requirement.
- Excellent communication, both written and verbal.
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
- Previous administrative assistant or legal assistant experience preferred.
- Ability to work sensitively with colleagues and clients having diverse personalities, lifestyles, cultures, faiths, and backgrounds.
- Ability to maintain client confidentiality and communicate with professionalism and courtesy.
- Ability to take initiative, multi-task, meet deadlines, and work well under pressure.
- Must be detailed oriented and possess superb organizational skills.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office software package such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher. Ability to learn legal case management software.
SKILLS NEEDED TO PERFORM THE JOB:
- Self-sufficiency and willingness to take initiative.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Excellent organizational and communications skills (both oral and written)
- Ability to meet deadlines.
- Attention to detail, precision, accuracy.
- Professional demeanor.
- Enthusiasm and dependability.
- Strong community connections in PA, NJ, MD and/or DE and willingness to build new relationships.
- Competency with technology.
- Ability to flourish in a challenging, but community-driven, environment.
- Flexibility, creativity, enthusiasm, and a sense of humor.
Interested Parties should send a cover letter and resume to tom@jfondv.org.