Immigration Legal Assistant, Children's Legal Services

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

IRC Background : The mission of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is to helppeople whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster tosurvive, recover and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC hasa presence in over 40 countries and 27 offices in the United States; the IRCleads the way from harm to home. IRC opened an office in Seattle in 1976 andprovides a continuum of services including intensive case management,employment and economic empowerment services, immigration assistance, healthand wellness programming, and education support to refugee and immigrantfamilies in Washington State. IRC Washington is committed to providingtrauma-informed and accessible services and maintaining and evolving a supportiveworkplace.

JOB OVERVIEW : IRC Denver seeks a bilingual Legal Assistant to join a new legalservices program that will provide legal representation to unaccompaniedchildren who have been released from custody of the Office of RefugeeResettlement (ORR) and reunified with sponsors in the Denver metro area. TheLegal Assistant will support the Children's Staff Attorney and ManagingAttorney to conduct intakes that identify options for asylum, special immigrantjuvenile status, or other forms of humanitarian relief, and assist withpreparing and filing immigration applications and petitions. The bilingualLegal Assistant will have stellar interpersonal and trauma-informed listeningskills, be highly organized and have excellent attention to detail, and be ableto work both in a collaborative team environment and independently onassignments.

MAJORRESPONSIBILITIES :

Assist in provision of Know Your Rights ("KYR") and legal orientations presentations to tender-age children in ORR custody as to the implications of their immigration legal status and possible pathways to permanent immigration status.

Assist in conducting intakes or follow-up meetings with unaccompanied child clients, gathering supporting documents, and preparing translations.

Assist in preparing filings for the immigration court, Asylum Office, and USCIS.

Provide interpretation for clients at USCIS interviews, as needed.

Open cases, create paper and electronic case files, and input data into relevant case management systems to ensure accurate and timely tracking of cases.

Coordinate with other IRC program staff to provide wrap-around services, where appropriate, and prepare referral packages for children who move out of local jurisdictions.

Support the development of partnerships that have potential to bring valuable supports to clients.

Communicate with clients to provide case status updates, request documents and other information, schedule appointments, and manage other communication as needed.

Prepare affidavits, legal correspondence, and other documents for the Staff Attorney, Managing Attorney, and other legal staff.

Translate documents from Spanish to English.

Track deadlines for the Children's Legal Services team and prepare monthly reports.

JobRequirements :

An undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience in the legal field.

Fluency in both Spanish and English required.

Experience in a legal setting is highly desirable, but not required.

Experience working with children is highly desirable, but not required.

Previous experience with immigration legal or social services is strongly preferred.

Excellent attention to detail, ability to multi-task, and comfort 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 service environment.

Deep commitment to working with immigrants, children, asylum seekers.

Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills.

Personal integrity in handling ethically complex and confidential situations.

Commitment to ongoing learning

Strong computer literacy, research, and analysis skills.

Valid driver's license, active insurance policy and access to reliable transportation.

Working Environment :

Standard office environment with occasional participation in community outreach andlegal assistance events.

Hybrid, flexible work options available.

Will require regular visits to ORR children's facility

May require occasional weekend and / or evening work.

In addition, the IRC in Denver actively promotes learning andgrowth for its team members, throughstaff development accounts that allowstaff to engage in individualized goal-aligned professional development, accessto a range of talent development offerings to build skills in a wide array ofareas from humanitarian principles to management skills, and opportunities tolead and engage with colleagues from across the IRC through communities ofpractice, special assignments, and designated roles that represent the Denveroffice, whether here in the U.S. or globally.

Equal OpportunityEmployer : IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRCconsiders all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex,color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status,veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicablelaw.

US Benefits : We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits.In the US, these include : 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time offdays depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $143 permonth, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month,FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans withimmediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an EmployeeAssistance Program which is available to our staff and their families tosupport counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Standard of Professional Conduct : The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.