Overview
The Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) seeks a full-time legal assistant to support the Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) for the San Francisco Immigration Court. The Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) is a court-based legal education program for non-detained noncitizens in immigration court proceedings. The goal of ICH is to provide non-detained respondents appearing before the court with information about court practices and procedures, available legal options, and other relevant topics. Because immigrants in court proceedings are not entitled to legal representation at the government’s expense, ICH prepares unrepresented individuals to understand the immigration court process and navigate a complex legal system on their own.
ICWC is a non-profit legal organization providing affordable immigration services to underrepresented immigrants in California. ICWC strives to provide security and stability for children who are abused, abandoned or neglected and for immigrants who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes. The offices primarily work with federal immigration laws that allow marginalized immigrants apply for work authorization and permanent residency. More information about ICWC is available at www.icwclaw.org.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The legal assistant will work with ICWC attorneys, administrative assistants and volunteers on the Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) and the Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP). These court support services include: providing information and consultations to respondents in individual and group settings, helping unrepresented respondents the day of their hearing before the Immigration Judge, assisting with pro-se (self-help) workshops, and connecting respondents with pro bono or low bono legal representation.
This position could develop into a DOJ Accreditation role, depending on the legal assistant’s prior experience, performance at ICWC, and the needs of the program.
Requirements:
- College degree
- Spanish language fluency required. Please indicate your language capacity in your application.
Other Qualifications:
- Experience in immigration law or another non-profit practice is preferred but not required
- Strong writing skills and meticulous attention to detail
- A demonstrated interest in low-income legal services and/or a commitment to immigrants’ rights
- Ability to work effectively with survivors of trauma, domestic violence and sexual assault
- Ability to work effectively and communicate with representatives of the federal government, including staff at the immigrant court