Legal Assistant

About IRAP

The International Refugee Assistance Project (“IRAP”) is a dynamic and growing legal and policy advocacy organization that works to develop and enforce a system of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced people around the world. We are the leading organization providing free and comprehensive legal services to people in need of a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.

IRAP operates offices in the U.S. (New York City, Washington, D.C.), Jordan (Amman), Lebanon (Beirut), and Europe (Berlin). Our legal and advocacy teams work closely with a corps of pro bono lawyers from 75 leading law firms and multi-national corporations, and law students who have created 29 IRAP chapters across the United States and Canada. Through this work, we aim to assist refugees and other displaced people to find safe passage and to transform the landscape of refugee rights. IRAP has over 100 full-time staff members. We are a nimble organization staffed by an innovative and collaborative team that is committed to high standards of quality and close partnerships with our clients, peers, and colleagues.

IRAP believes that diversity is critical to fostering a strong workplace and serving our clients well. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities that we serve, members of other marginalized communities, and individuals whose identities are underrepresented in the legal profession.

About the US Legal Department

IRAP’s U.S. legal department includes over 25 staff who provide individual legal assistance to refugees and other displaced people around the world. Since IRAP’s establishment, we have helped to resettle more than 3,800 individuals to 18 countries.

Our U.S.- based staff provide legal assistance to individuals navigating the refugee recognition, resettlement, and visa application processes through their mentorship of pro bono teams, in-house representation, and legal information and pro se materials. They also lead our efforts to organize and train law students from IRAP’s 31 law school chapters and pro bono attorneys at over 100 international law firms and multinational corporations.

Opportunity

IRAP is seeking a Legal Assistant to support the work of our U.S. Legal Services Department in our New York office. The position will report to the Legal Support Manager and work closely with Legal Services Department staff. This is an exciting opportunity for a well-organized, motivated individual interested in refugees, human rights, and immigration/international law to be part of a growing organization that makes an impact on the lives of refugees and other displaced persons.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and logistical support for U.S. Legal Services Department quality assurance mechanisms.
• Enter, maintain, and organize data in internal case management software.
• Provide administrative support to IRAP attorneys for their direct services case work, including fact-checking, proofreading, redacting, note-taking, filing, mailing, formatting, gathering and organizing documents, and organizing meetings.
• Monitor emails from former clients, escalating issues for attorney review in a timely manner, conducting follow-up as needed, and communicating with clients as requested and appropriate.
• Conduct client intakes as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or 4+ years of relevant work experience required.
• Prior experience working in an office environment (paid or unpaid) preferred.
• Motivated to provide administrative and logistical support in a dynamic work environment.
• Ability to manage and prioritize a diverse workload with flexibility and strong time management skills.
• Strong organizational skills, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.
• Sensitivity to client empowerment and to working with clients of all backgrounds, including LGBTI clients, survivors of trauma, and other vulnerable populations.
• Familiarity with and orientation towards technology systems, including Microsoft, Adobe, and Google Suite.
• Fluency in spoken and written English required.
• Additional languages (particularly Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Pashto, Somali, and/or Spanish) are a plus.

Location: The candidate will work in IRAP’s New York office

Compensation
The annual salary range for this position is $50,484 – $66,110, commensurate with experience. May be subject to a collective bargaining agreement.