Paralegal Casehandler, Immigration Law Unit - Detained Removal Defense

About the role

The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking a Paralegal Casehandler to join the citywide Immigration Law Unit’s New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), focusing on detained removal defense. The Paralegal Casehandler will assist the Project Coordinator with data collection, data entry, and generating reports, as well as assist project attorneys with case management and litigation support in removal proceedings before immigration courts at Varick, Newark, and Elizabeth. The Paralegal Casehandler will be part of an inter-disciplinary legal team that includes attorneys and social workers working closely to address the needs of detained and non-detained clients. The Unit is a recognized leader in the delivery of high-quality legal services to immigrants in New York City and surrounding counties. The NYIFUP program provides low-income New Yorkers who are detained by ICE at the time of intake with free, comprehensive immigration services ranging from removal defense, bond hearings, appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals, habeas corpus petitions in federal district court and Petitions for Review in the federal circuit courts, as well as seeking relief through affirmative applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and in family court proceedings on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) motions. The Unit specializes in the intersection between immigration and criminal law and works collaboratively with all practice areas to serve the Society’s diverse immigrant clients through a comprehensive service model.

Responsibilities

• Provide basic case file and case management (Law Manager) database maintenance and organization
• Enter and search data on various databases
• Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports from various databases as needed
• Provide direct assistance to clients
• Assist project attorneys with litigation tasks
• Prepare appropriate relief applications and draft affidavits on behalf of clients
• Work with clients to gather information and documentation
• Assist with provision of client representation before USCIS, as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Minimum two‑year commitment to become a Board of Immigration Appeals Partially Accredited Representative with privileges to practice before USCIS
• May require off‑site work and evening hours
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (strongly preferred) OR paralegal certificate from an ABA‑accredited program OR high school diploma/GED with 4+ years of legal work experience OR 4+ years of combined higher education and legal work experience

Skills

• Excellent writing, verbal, and computer skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team
• Ability to work efficiently and under time constraints to meet deadlines
• Ability to manage a reasonable volume of work and solve problems creatively
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• Commitment to protecting the rights of low‑income clients

Preferred qualifications

• Knowledge