Legal Assistant

IRC Background: The mission of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC has a presence in over 40 countries and 27 offices in the United States; the IRC leads the way from harm to home. IRC opened an office in Seattle in 1976 and provides a continuum of services including intensive case management, employment and economic empowerment services, immigration assistance, health and wellness programming, and education support to refugee and immigrant families in Washington State. IRC Washington is committed to providing trauma-informed, equitable, and accessible services and maintaining and evolving a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace.

JOB OVERVIEW: IRC Seattle seeks a bilingual Legal Assistant to join its Children’s Legal Services program which provides legal representation to unaccompanied children who have been released from custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and reunified with sponsors in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties. The Legal Assistant will support the Children’s Attorneys and Managing Attorney to conduct intakes that identify options for asylum, special immigrant juvenile status, or other forms of humanitarian relief; assist with preparing and filing immigration applications and petitions; and complete program data and recordkeeping administrative tasks. The bilingual Legal Assistant will have stellar interpersonal and trauma-informed listening skills, be highly organized and have excellent attention to detail, and be able to work both in a collaborative team environment and independently on assignments.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in conducting intakes or follow-up meetings with unaccompanied child clients, interpreting at the meetings as needed, gathering supporting documents, and preparing translations;
• Assist in preparing filings for the Immigration Court, Washington State courts, Asylum Office, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
• Provide interpretation for clients at USCIS interviews, as needed;
• Open cases, create paper and electronic case files, and input data in 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 jurisdiction;
• Support development of partnerships that have potential to bring valuable supports to clients;
• Communicate with clients to schedule appointments, provide case status updates as directed by the attorneys, request documents and other information, schedule appointments, and manage other communication as needed;
• Prepare affidavits, legal correspondence, and other documents for the Children’s Attorneys, Managing Attorney, and other legal staff;
• Translate documents from Spanish to English and client communications from English to Spanish;
• Track deadlines for the Children’s Legal Services team and prepare monthly reports.

Job Requirements:

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience in the legal field;
• Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking both Spanish and English required;
• Experience in a legal setting highly desirable, but not required;
• Experience working with children highly desirable, but not required;
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to multi-task, and comfortable 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 services environment;
• Deep commitment to working with immigrants, children, and asylum seekers;
• Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills;
• Personal integrity in handling ethically complex and confidential situations;
• Commitment to anti-racism and ongoing learning; and
• Strong computer literacy, research, and analysis skills.

Working Environment:**

• Standard office environment with occasional participation in community outreach and legal assistance events; hybrid, flexible work options available.
• May require occasional weekend and/or evening work.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirement.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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 off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.