Senior Immigration Paralegal - African Communities Together

Position Location:  This position will be based in ACT’s New York City office.

Reports to: New York Legal Director

FLSA Status: Salaried-Exempt

Employment Type: Full-time 

Hours: Monday-Friday, hybrid position, requires a mix of remote work, work on site (an average of 3 days per week), and in-person meetings.

Salary: The baseline salary for this position is $70,000; additional compensation is negotiable for exceptionally qualified candidates.

About Us: African Communities Together (ACT) is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT empowers African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. We develop our members as grassroots leaders who take action to make social change. Since its founding, ACT has supported thousands of African immigrants with direct services, trained hundreds of new leaders, and led successful policy campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels that have impacted hundreds of thousands of immigrants. ACT’s African immigrant membership comes from a diverse range of nationalities, cultures, and languages, is religiously diverse, and is predominantly working-class and low-income. We have offices in New York City and the Washington, D.C. metro area. 

Position Description: ACT is currently seeking a skilled and experienced Senior Paralegal to join our legal team. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated expertise in immigration law and a proven track record of managing deadlines and supporting a legal team in a fast-paced environment. In this role, you will be responsible for providing direct immigration services to ACT members and immigrant New Yorkers, particularly African immigrant communities. Our legal program offers free immigration legal services to residents of New York, including assistance with petitions for alien relatives, naturalization, status adjustment, and more. Under the supervision of the NY Legal Director, you will carry out  a variety of immigration legal services, including case screenings, conducting intakes, case management, client communication, referrals from partners, supervising paralegals, and grant reporting. This role will collaborate with other programmatic personnel to advance the chapter's goals and objectives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide community members with immigration legal services, in fulfillment of charitable grants and government contracts, and in compliance with legal, contractual, and ethical requirements. .
• Collect and compile client data for grant reports and work with the NY Legal Director to submit various grant reports.
• Conduct intake assessments with prospective clients to assess eligibility for immigration relief.
• Coordinate with clients to gather necessary documentation and information in a timely manner.
• Maintain ongoing communication with clients regarding their case, requirements, and retainers by email and phone.
• Prepare and draft legal documents related to immigration cases, including forms, petitions, and support letters, and applications to be submitted to USCIS.
• Communicate with government agencies, including USCIS, regarding case status and inquiries.
• Supervise junior paralegals and legal interns, providing guidance and ensuring efficiency.
• Assist with administrative duties, including but not limited to managing the NY legal email inbox, scheduling appointments, sending retainer agreements, answering phone calls, checking voicemails, and following up as needed.
• Collect, maintain, and organize physical and electronic client data and files, intake forms and other documentation related to immigration legal services.
• Participate in team meetings and training sessions regarding legal services.
• Refer prospective and or current clients to appropriate partners or service organizations where necessary.
• Engage with partner organizations, providers and other stakeholders to effectuate competent legal services.

• Assist in organizing Know Your Rights presentations, legal clinics, and other outreach activities for the immigrant community and external partners. 
• Collaborate with other staff members and departments to provide comprehensive support to clients.
• Provide interpretation services as needed.
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed. 

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3—5 years of experience working as a Paralegal or legal assistant in a law firm or non-profit environment. 
• Bachelor’s degree in legal studies or a related field preferred. 
• Must reside within daily commuting distance of New York City.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. You can build strong working relationships with members and external partners and organizations.
• Excellent organizational skills. Able to manage multiple priorities, timelines, and attention to detail.
• Proficient with calendars, email, spreadsheets, and common business software. (training will be provided for office databases used)
• Professional demeanor with strong phone etiquette.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural and Linguistic backgrounds.
• Fluency in either French or a widely spoken African language highly desired.
• Ability to succeed in a collaborative team model, including working independently, and thriving in a diverse group of staff, volunteers, and communities.
• Alignment with ACT’s mission and values.  

Employee Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Simplified Employee Pension Plan (SEP-IRA). Additional benefits include professional development and a sabbatical/longevity bonus.

Paid Leave

African Communities Together (ACT) offers a generous paid leave program to full-time employees. Benefits include two weeks of paid vacation, paid medical leave, a personal day for every two months worked, paid holidays throughout the calendar year (including federal holidays), and a year-end winter break from December 24th to January 1st.

Application Process 

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications by September 16th,2024; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for the role. Studies have shown people of the global majority and female-identifying candidates in particular are likely to “count themselves out” of otherwise well-matched opportunities due to this fact. If much of this job description describes you, please apply for this role. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

ACT is an affirmative action employer and strongly supports the social goals of affirmative action. We therefore make special efforts to recruit individuals from groups that are historically under-represented in professional environments or that suffer from broader societal discrimination.

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