Job Description

About Safe Passage Project

Safe Passage Project (SPP) is a highly focused nonprofit immigration legal services organization that provides free lawyers to immigrant children facing deportation. Founded in 2013, SPP has grown to include 50+ employees, two offices, and an annual budget of over $5 million. It manages over 1,300 open cases a year.

To date, SPP has supported more than 3,000 young people in NYC and Long Island. The New York Immigration Courts, some of the busiest immigration courts in the US, have more than 15,000 juveniles on their dockets, many of whom are fleeing trauma in their countries of origin such as gang violence and recruitment, abuse, and sexual assault. Immigrant children are not afforded free legal representation by the government, regardless of their age. As a result, more than half of immigrant children in immigration proceedings must go to court without the aid of a lawyer. Among unaccompanied children with legal representation, immigration court data shows that 73% are allowed to remain in the United States, whereas only 15% of unrepresented children are allowed to stay. This is where Safe Passage Project steps in, both through providing immigrant youth with direct representation by staff attorneys and through a robust network of pro bono attorneys who SPP attorneys train, mentor, and supervise.

About The Role

We are looking for a Spanish-speaking, detail-oriented professional to join a growing team of paralegals who work collaboratively to assist attorneys in Safe Passage Project's immigration legal practice. Attorneys are directly responsible for representing children in family court, immigration court, and at the asylum office. As a paralegal, you will support attorneys with clerical and administrative tasks, and communication with clients, all while learning more about immigration law and advocacy. This is a very exciting opportunity for someone passionate about supporting vulnerable youth and someone interested in exploring immigration law as a career.

This opportunity will be based in our Long Island Office in Farmingdale, NY.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the work of attorneys providing direct representation to clients;
• Translating documents and interpreting for meetings and agency interviews;
• Assisting attorneys with immigration and family court litigation;
• Managing and maintaining case and client management systems and our physical and electronic casefiles to track case activity;
• Communicating with volunteer attorneys and interpreters;
• Participating in screening prospective clients;
• Drafting client communications and completing immigration-related application forms;
• Providing clerical and administrative support to the organization;
• Supervising volunteers and undergraduate interns;
• Participate in legal and organizational meetings;
• Support the organization's hiring and recruitment of staff, interns, and volunteers;
• Provide support to Safe Passage Project's colleagues, team and support the organization's mission.

Qualifications

Education/Licenses: High school diploma required; AA or BA preferred.

Experience: Paralegal experience is preferred but not required.

Skills/Knowledge- The strongest candidates for this position will have most, though likely not all, of the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Excellent written, analytical, oral, organizational, and time management skills;
• Written and verbal Spanish language fluency required;
• Experience working with diverse communities, preferably with immigrant youth;
• An understanding of how to work with vulnerable populations using trauma-centered practices or willingness to learn and incorporate such practices in your work;
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team in a fast-paced environment;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel, and G Suite; and
• A commitment to the work of Safe Passage Project and readiness to grow and learn with the Safe Passage Project team.

Compensation and Benefits
Safe Passage Project offers a competitive salary in the range of $54,633 - $67,262 annually and offers the following benefits:

• In a hybrid work environment
• Open Paid Time Off
• Medical plans (which includes 1 plan that has 100% premium coverage).
• Dental plans, Vision plans, and telehealth services.
• An employer-sponsored retirement savings plan- we provide up to 6% employer match of your 401(k) contributions
• 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave along with Unpaid Leave of Absence
• Short-term disability (STD) & Long-term disability (LTD) Coverage
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and Health savings accounts (HSA)
• Commuter benefits
• Voluntary Life Insurance plans
• Pet Health Insurance
• Yearly Professional Development Stipend
• Time off from December 24th to January 1st
• Home Office Stipend
• Paid Holidays
• Flexible work schedule

The team works on a beautiful campus at a terrific office location in Tribeca and in our Long Island office in Farmingdale, NY. Safe Passage Project is proud to have a top-down, bottom-up commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Safe Passage Project is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

For more information on Safe Passage Project, please visit (

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