Position Title: Paralegal, Affirmative Services

Organization: Jewish Family Service of San Diego

Department: Immigration Services Department – Affirmative Services

Position Type: Full-Time (37.5+ hours/week), Non-Exempt

Work Setting: Onsite

Reports To: Directing Attorney

Pay Rate: $23/hour

Total Compensation:

In addition to standard pay, compensation for this position includes:

• Comprehensive, low-cost healthcare coverage for employees
• Generous employer 401(k) contributions
• Employer-covered life insurance

Time Away from Work:

Being able to take time away from work is critical in bringing your best self to work. Time off benefits for this position include:

• Generous paid vacation time and sick leave
• 13 observed Federal and Jewish holidays
• 4 Floating Holidays each year, which employees select from over 60 religious holidays and community days of importance
• 2 Wellness Days to be taken any time during the year to support employees’ mental wellness

Position Overview:

JFS is looking for a compassionate, mission-driven individual to join the Immigration Legal Services Department on a new Afghan Legal Services program as the Paralegal. In this role, you have the opportunity to use your skills and abilities to work with the Afghan community who were recently evacuated from Afghanistan and to make a meaningful difference in your community and help change lives across San Diego. The Paralegal position plays an integral role on the team and supports the entire agency by helping to prepare cases to file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State to enable Afghans who were evacuated gain lasting immigration relief in the United States. This position reports directly to the Directing Attorney and works closely with 3 other team members who are tasked with assisting the Afghan Legal Support Program and the rest of the Immigration Legal Services team.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) is one of four refugee resettlement agencies in San Diego County, a Department of Justice Recognized organization, and a core partner of the San Diego Rapid Response Network (SDRRN) - a group of 40+ immigrant rights and social service organizations, attorneys and community leaders who educate, protect and assist immigrant individuals and families – including refugees and asylum seekers – with legal support and social services. JFS has a large Immigration Legal Services Department (ILSD) where it not only coordinates the legal services for SDRRN, but also has a large team of lawyers, DOJ accredited representatives, and support staff working on a wide range of services for low-income and vulnerable immigrants in San Diego and Imperial counties. This position will work within the ILSD team at JFS. The ILSD team specializes in removal defense, family-based petitions and applications, administrative relief, naturalization, and humanitarian relief. The ILSD team has experience and regularly practices immigration law before Department of Homeland Security (DHS), such as with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol (BP) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as well as before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) at the San Diego, Otay Mesa and Imperial Immigration Courts and Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The ILSD team also represents clients in relevant immigration matters before San Diego Superior Court on simple post-conviction relief and probate guardianship matters. The ILSD is also the legal service provider which coordinates the Higher Education Legal Services (HELS) program at 2 CA State Universities – San Diego State and CSU San Marcos, in addition to 9 community colleges in San Diego and Imperial counties.

Responsibilities:

• Respond to paralegal support requests for all attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives on the AS team.
• Assist in the management of our immigration hotlines and request for services via postal mail and email.
• Coordinate the scheduling of immigration legal screenings for attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives and communicate effectively with potential clients and provide immigration intakes as needed.
• Help clients prepare immigration filings, including the completion of draft applications and declarations, for review by attorneys or DOJ accredited representatives.
• Manage client’s physical and electronic files.
• Stay in constant communication with clients about the status of their pending immigration cases.
• Interpret during meetings and translate documents if you speak another language.
• Perform and manage data entry for all AS cases, and assist with program planning, database management and quality and grant reporting.
• Provide administrative support to the attorneys and DOJ Accredited Representatives, such as the completion of mailings, scheduling, reimbursements, and assistance to our other immigration programs as needed.
• Ensure supervisees are meeting all responsibilities according to their job description.

Skills/Abilities That Are a Must-Have:

• A passion for social justice for immigrants.
• A passion for providing culturally competent, trauma-informed, services to noncitizens and newcomers in San Diego County, Imperial County, and generally in the San Diego border region, including but not limited Tijuana/Mexicali, Mexico.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent certification or degree
• A paralegal certificate or equivalent experience.
• 1-2 years of work experience in a nonprofit or services setting.
• A willingness to undergo extensive immigration law-focused legal training and complete required bi-annual ethics trainings.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including good communication and active listening skills.
• Detail oriented and self-directed with strong oral and written communication skills in English.
• An ability to record accurate data.
• Strong relational skills and professional attitude.
• Strong case management, legal research, and legal writing skills.
• A demonstrated ability and willingness to zealously defend the rights of immigrants.
• A demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure.
• An ability to work both independently and in a group and with a team.
• An ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task and organize in a fast paced and fluid environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft software including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Program and project management experience and supervisory skills.
• A passion for our mission and work.
• Multilingual English/Farsi, Dari, Pashto and/or Arabic – desired.
• Experience working with immigrant populations and in multi-cultural settings.
• Experience working with marginalized populations and survivors of trauma.
• Dedication to serving immigrant communities with a sincere commitment to working on behalf of low-income immigrants.

Skills and Abilities We’d Like You to Have:

• Experience working with marginalized populations and survivors of trauma.
• Dedication to serving immigrant communities with a sincere commitment to working on behalf of low-income immigrants.

Important Notice:

Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Please, no phone calls. Please, principals only. Please, local candidates only (relocation is not provided).

About Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Jewish Family Service of San Diego is a client-centered, impact-driven organization working to build a stronger, more resilient community. For over 100 years, Jewish Family Service has been a trusted resource for the entire community, offering an array of services that are always life-changing, and often life-saving. At Jewish Family Service, we believe our employees are the backbone of our Agency. We strive to ensure that each employee is treated with dignity and respect. Our goal is your success. Come work at JFS and be our partner in Moving Forward Together. To learn more about JFS, please visit jfssd.org.

• Jewish Family Service is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.