Community Defense Legal Assistant

Introduction:

The Community Defense Legal Assistant (CD Legal Assistant) will be responsible for providing immigration legal assistance to low-income immigrants and refugees as supervised by a licensed attorney on our Community Defense team. This team focuses on representation of individuals who have pending immigration court matters. The CD Legal Assistant performs a variety of administrative duties to assist the team in representing clients in removal proceedings and before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

What’s in it for you?

• The opportunity to make an impact in the community by enhancing opportunities for immigrants and refugees in Minnesota and North Dakota.
• We believe in work-life harmony. This role offers the flexibility to blend remote work with in-office collaboration.
• We provide paid leave including the following:
  • Paid-time-off (PTO) that increases based on tenure but starts off with 20 days per year.
  • Employee Sick and Safe Time (ESST) of 80 hours per year (pro-rated for the first year) to be used for sick and safe time.
  • Holiday leave, including 11 holidays & the week between Christmas Eve & New Years Day.
• We provide competitive benefits including the following:
  • Medical insurance through Medica: ILCM currently pays 90% of the employee & dependent portion of premiums and 80% for spouses/domestic partners.
  • Dental insurance through Delta Dental: ILCM currently pays 65% of the employee and dependent premiums.
  • Vision insurance through Avesis: ILCM currently pays 65% of the employee and dependent premiums.
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) & Flexible Spending Account (FSA): ILCM currently contributes $500 per year. To enroll in the HSA, the employee has to be enrolled in the HSA eligible medical plan.
  • Life, Short/Long-term Disability Insurance through Reliance with the option to buy additional voluntary life insurance.
  • SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan w/employer match of up to 3% of the employee’s compensation to start January 2026.
  • A remote connectivity stipend of $50/month.
• We provide professional development & growth opportunities to all our employees including a $500 annual professional development stipend.

Why ILCM?

• You will be championing social justice. The work directly advances equity, human rights, and access to justice for those who often lack a voice.
• You will gain specialized expertise. You'll deepen your legal knowledge in areas like asylum, VAWA petitions, U and T visas, removal defense, and naturalization.
• You will work with a committed organization dedicated to serving and empowering clients. ILCM’s values are grounded in respect for and partnership with our immigrant and refugee clients.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Working under the supervision of an attorney, assist in legal representation—or brief service and advice, and referrals for low-income immigrants and refugees in immigration court cases, including:
   1. Screen and conduct intake consultations with potential clients via phone, in-person, or through visits to detention centers or clinics.
   2. Provide information, and referrals to low-income refugees and immigrants.
   3. Answer phone calls and inform clients of case progress.
   4. Answer calls on the detention line and send pro se resources and referrals
   5. Perform legal and criminal record research and prepare requests for documents.
   6. Research and prepare country conditions reports.
   7. Review and analyze court documents.
   8. Conduct country conditions research and work on exhibit preparation in collaboration with attorneys.
   9. Assist in creating reminders to track deadlines for cases and regularly checking case statuses with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) or the Executive Office of Immigration Review.
   10. Drafting client correspondence.
2. Engage in outreach efforts to immigrant and refugee communities, professionals working with immigrants and refugees, and general communities regarding immigration issues, including:
   1. Engage in outreach efforts to immigrant and refugee communities regarding our legal services.
   2. Liaise with government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security.
   3. Provide individual information and group presentations about immigration law to agencies that work with immigrant and refugee communities.
   4. Monitor and advise about immigration-related policy and practices to refugee and immigrants.
   5. Provide community outreach and educational sessions to refugees and immigrants.
   6. Assist in administrative tasks of planning and executing immigration legal clinics.
3. Maintain client records in compliance with organization protocols, governmental contracts, grant requirements, and best practices, including:
   1. Organize, scan and store documents into legal database, as well as clients’ physical files.
   2. Document notes and exchanged information into legal database.
   3. Maintain database, create and process letters and case files.

Secondary Responsibilities

1. Complete biweekly time records for financial management, grant reporting, and recordkeeping purposes.
2. Participate in legal meetings, case review, and monthly staff meetings.
3. Participate in training and development opportunities.
4. Assist in proposal and grant report preparation as needed.
5. Manage miscellaneous projects and complete various tasks as needed by management.
6. Provide back-up in different areas as needed such as reception or intake.
7. Assist with unscheduled walk-ins as needed.
8. Provide translation of documents and interpret for clients as needed.

Qualifications | Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• • Associate or bachelor’s degree in any field, paralegal experience, or experience working in an attorney’s office with some college credits.
  • Fluency in a language spoken by a significant proportion of ILCM’s client population, such as Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Amharic, Oromo, Karen, or Karenni.
  • Experience in working with diverse populations.
  • Experience in advocating on behalf of immigrants.
  • Proficient in all Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and SharePoint.
  • Experience with LegalServer and immigration forms programs preferred.
  • Detail-oriented, service-oriented, organized and able to meet deadlines.
  • Dedicated, reliable, organized and able to handle a high volume of assignments.
  • Exhibits positive attitude and flexibility and works effectively within a team.
  • Experience with office equipment, including copiers, and telephone systems.
  • Excellent interpersonal communication and superior customer service skills.
  • Understands confidential nature of organization information and maintains confidences.