Immigration Paralegal and Office Manager at the Law Office of Helen Lawrence

We are seeking a full time (40 hours/week) paralegal/office manager to ensure our law practice runs smoothly and to provide critical support to our attorneys during these challenging times. We are looking for an experienced immigration paralegal to join our seasoned team. The ideal candidate’s leadership will help immigrants to navigate an increasingly complex legal landscape. They will possess strong communication and organizational skills, be able to work independently, think on their feet, and anticipate issues.

About the Practice:

The Law Office of Helen Lawrence is an Oakland-based immigration law practice dedicated to providing direct representation and legal services to individuals before immigration courts and agencies. We put clients at the center of our practice—representing them with compassion, patience and attention to their goals and needs. Our office offers vigorous, committed advocacy towards defending and promoting immigrants’ rights. The attorneys have over 20 years of combined experience in this field.

The caseload includes:

• Removal defense specializing in detained and non-detained clients with claims for relief including but not limited to Cancellation of Removal and Asylum/Withholding of Removal/Protection under the Convention Against Torture;
• Franco-Gonzalez class members, who are individuals with severe mental illness;
• Family-based immigration matters, ranging from relative visa petitions to complex waivers and consular processing;
• Other forms of humanitarian relief including U Visas, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA);
• Naturalization and citizenship.

Position duties:

Office Manager Duties (30%)

• Manage overall administrative activities for the office;
• Remain responsible for day-to-day operations, including purchasing office supplies, furniture, office equipment etc.;
• Keep the office organized and maintained (including lobby area, supply room, etc.)
• Monitor receipt of payments and complete billing-related tasks assigned by attorney;
• Complete administrative errands as assigned.

Legal Assistant/Paralegal Duties (70%)

• Assist attorney with caseload management and regular client contact;
• Draft correspondence;
• Maintain client case files;
• Translate documents from Spanish to English and vice versa;
• Interpret at interviews at the Asylum Office and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices;
• Provide administrative support (calls, mail, payment processing and invoicing, faxing, copying, scanning and scheduling meetings);
• Attend online and in-person meetings and trainings to maintain an up-to-date knowledge on immigration law;
• Draft and support attorneys in different immigration applications and court proceedings;
• Other duties as assigned by Attorneys.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience;
• Bilingual with fluency in English and Spanish required;
• Minimum of two-years legal experience, with a strong preference for three or more years of immigration experience;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral;
• Ability to and interest in working closely with clients from diverse backgrounds;
• Strong attention to detail and ability to keep track of deadlines.
• Experience in Excel preferred but not required.
• Working knowledge of Gsuite products (Gmail, Google Calendar)

Work Environment

The Law Office of Helen Lawrence is located in downtown Oakland, and currently operates in a hybrid work environment. This position requires at least working twice a week (and more, depending on work duties) from the office.