Job Background/Overview:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a bilingual Legal Assistant to join its Children’s Legal Services program which provides legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children who have been released from the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and reunified with sponsors in Maryland.

Since its inception in 1933, the IRC delivers lasting impact to refugees fleeing from war or disaster by offering lifesaving care, life-changing assistance, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant. the IRC has a presence in over 50 countries and 28 offices in the United States; the IRC leads the way from harm to home. IRC opened an office in Silver Spring MD in 2006 joining its Baltimore MD office and provides a continuum of services including intensive case management, employment and economic empowerment services, immigration assistance, case management, and education support to asylees and refugees in Maryland. The Children’s Legal Services program is the first program in Maryland to offer full legal representation to unaccompanied minors in removal proceedings. IRC Silver Spring is committed to providing trauma-informed, equitable, and accessible services and maintaining and evolving a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace.

The Legal Assistant will support the Children’s Attorneys and Managing Attorney to coordinate client referrals, interview unaccompanied child clients to identify options for asylum, special immigrant juvenile status, or other forms of humanitarian relief; assist with preparing and filing immigration applications and petitions; and complete program data and recordkeeping administrative tasks.

The ideal candidate will have stellar interpersonal and trauma-informed listening skills, especially with children of all ages; be highly organized and have excellent attention to detail; and be able to work both in a collaborative team environment and independently on assignments.

Major Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and receive case referrals, setting up new case files (both electronic and hard copy), recording referrals, and setting up initial client meetings with attorneys.
• Assist in conducting intakes or follow-up meetings with unaccompanied child clients, occasional interpreting at the meetings, and gathering supporting documents. Some meetings may require local travel;
• Assist in preparing filings for the Immigration Court, Maryland State courts, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
• Communicate with clients to schedule appointments, provide case status updates as directed by the attorneys, request documents and other information, schedule appointments, and manage other communication, as needed;
• Assist attorneys with drafts of affidavits, legal correspondence, and other documents for the Children’s Attorneys, Managing Attorney, and other legal staff;
• Translate documents from Spanish to English and client communications from English to Spanish, as needed;
• Process and record daily mail; assist with monthly data reporting submissions and checking; prepare monthly invoicing documentation; track deadlines for the Children’s Legal Services team; and prepare monthly reports as needed;
• Coordinate with other IRC program staff and community partners to refer clients for wrap-around services, where appropriate, and prepare referral packages for children who move out of local jurisdiction;

Key Working Relationships:

Reports to: Managing Attorney, Children’s Legal Services

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or 3 years’ experience/knowledge in the field of immigration law or child welfare, family, or juvenile justice law.
• Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking both Spanish and English required.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in a legal setting highly desirable, but not required;
• Lived experience with the immigration legal system highly desired, but not required;
• Experience working with children highly desirable, but not required;
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to multi-task, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment;
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, solve problems and exercise sound judgement;
• Evidence of capacity to be a strong team member in a highly collaborative social services environment;
• Deep commitment to working with immigrants, children, and asylum seekers;
• Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills;
• Personal integrity in handling ethically complex and confidential situations;
• Commitment to anti-racism and ongoing learning; and
• Strong computer literacy, research, and analysis skills.

Working Environment:

• Standard office environment with occasional participation in community outreach and legal assistance events or client meetings at public locations (for example, libraries);
• In person presence at office required with one remote workday/week;
• May require occasional weekend and/or evening work.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12 month time period.