Legal Administrative Assistant

The Organization:
The Florence Project was founded in 1989 to respond to a representation crisis for indigent non-citizens detained at the rural Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Florence, Arizona. Through our programs today, we provide services to thousands of adults, youth, and children detained in Eloy, Florence, Phoenix, and Tucson, Arizona on any given day. In 2001, the Florence Project implemented our Integrated Social Services Program, one of the first of its kind in this field. The Florence Project provides high quality legal and social services and supports initiatives for national changes in immigration law and policy.

Legal Administrative Assistant:

The Legal Administrative Assistant will provide legal administration support to the Children’s Program. This includes, but is not limited to, data entry, data management, file management (including hard copy files and electronic files), compiling filings to be submitted to court, scanning and organizing Records of Proceeding, requesting records, calendaring important events and deadlines, and sending out mail.  The position is also responsible for assisting attorneys with legal cases and providing administrative support as needed.  This position is based in [Tucson/Phoenix] with travel to the alternate physical location as needed, which may be weekly.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Administrative Support:

• Create and maintain a system for timely responses to administrative support requests from legal staff.
• Prepare paper filings and copies of court documents for legal staff and clients.
• Respond to incoming telephone calls related to the Children’s Program. Make outgoing telephone calls as needed by the Children’s Program.
• In collaboration with the Children’s Program Managerial Team and other leadership across the organization, support in the creation and maintenance of systems for legal files. This includes file maintenance through Legal Server, FIRRP’s remote server, and paper files.
• Provide large-scale print, mailing, and filing assistance to Children’s Program legal staff to ensure such jobs are completed and executed in a timely manner.
• Provide file maintenance, storage, and retrieval assistance to Children’s Program legal staff.  Such assistance includes, but is not limited to, in-office physical file maintenance and storage as well as electronic file maintenance.
• In collaboration with the Children’s Program Managerial Team, develop training materials and train new staff regarding Children’s Program processes for file maintenance, storage, and retrieval.

Calendar Maintenance:

• When receiving a hearing notice or information as to a deadline or briefing schedule, ensure that the date is listed in the client’s Legal Server folder as well as on appropriate team calendars. Send appropriate calendar invitations.

Case Procedures:

• In collaboration with the Children’s Program Managerial Team, develop practices regarding case opening, case closing, and case transfer procedures.
• Effectuate routine and consistent case opening, case closing, and case transfer procedures.
• In collaboration with Staff Attorneys and Legal Assistants, complete routine and consistent case opening tasks, such as ensuring internal databases are created and up to date, making initial and routine records requests, drafting retainer agreements, and preparing any additional documents identified that are essential to the initial stages of a case.
• In collaboration with Staff Attorneys and legal assistants, complete routine and consistent case closing tasks, such as drafting client closing letters, completing file organization, drafting a case closing memorandum, and updating internal databases regarding the final outcome of the case.
• Prepare cases for out-of-state transfer in limited circumstances.
• In collaboration with staff attorneys and legal assistants, complete routine, and consistent case transfer tasks, such as preparing necessary referrals and documents for out-of-state transfer of cases.

Data Entry and Management:

• Enter required organizational and client data into various databases pursuant to the requirements of the funding source.
• Assist with data requests from the organization and from external funders.
• Review data at regular intervals to ensure consistency and accuracy.
• In collaboration with the Children’s Program Managerial Team, create training materials and develop trainings to ensure that legal staff are properly trained with respect to data entry requirements.
• Maintain confidence and protect operations by keeping information confidential.

Other Duties & Responsibilities:

• Translate written documents from Spanish to English and English to Spanish as needed.
• Provide interpretation from Spanish to English and English to Spanish as needed.
• Participate in developing and implementing special projects, trainings, or presentations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

• High School diploma, or GED or equivalent experience will be considered.
• Fluency or advanced proficiency in Spanish required.
• Demonstrated commitment to advocating for indigent immigrant clients in a respectful and empowering way, zealous support of the Florence Project’s mission, and displays a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Must be comfortable working with people with criminal convictions.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work with diverse populations.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Highly organized, an innovative thinker, and work in high-volume settings with limited resources.
• Accuracy and attention to detail a must.
• Ability to do repetitive tasks for long periods of time.
• Excellent problem solving, research, and analytical skills.
• Effectively manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate to be a hardworking, flexible, respectful team player that can work effectively in a collaborative, innovative, and client centered work environment.
• Ability to work independently, be adaptable and reliable in the face of conflict, pressure, crisis or changing priorities.
• Exhibits high ethical standards and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Must be able to pass federal and state background checks.
• Travel is required for this position.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Proven computer skills.  Advanced understanding of basic office applications.

Preferred Requirements:

• 6 months to 1-year relevant office experience preferred.
• Prior work or internship experience in immigration rights, human rights, criminal justice, or in a nonprofit legal services setting is a plus.
• Prior advocacy work in immigrant rights, human rights, LGBTQ rights, criminal justice, or experience working with trauma survivors is a plus.
• Experience with databases and data tracking (i.e., Legal Server).

Working Conditions:

• Operate in a professional office environment and requires the ability to sit for long periods of time with intermittent walking, standing, bending, squatting, pulling and pushing.
• Requires the ability to use standard office equipment such as scanners, computers, keyboards, phones, shredders, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. Requires the ability to lift-up to ten pounds -- accommodations may be available.
• The position is based may be based in Tucson or Phoenix office and is required to travel between offices.
• Travel and time in children’s shelters, detention facilities as well as immigration courts located in Florence, Eloy Phoenix and Tucson.
• Effective September 1, 2021, FIRRP has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy. To comply with this policy, active employees must be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021. Employees seeking an exemption due to a medical condition or sincerely-held religious belief should contact our Human Resources Department at humanresources@firrp.org.

Salary & Benefits

• This is a full-time position. Salary is competitive for our field and geographical area and is commensurate with experience: $41,000-$52,000 DOE. We strive to create and uphold a positive, supportive, and inclusive work environment for all staff. We offer excellent benefits, including:

• Medical plans including health, dental, vision coverage, subject to plan terms

• Short Term Disability

• Eligibility for group benefits such as voluntary life insurance, subject to applicable waiting periods

• Retirement plan, subject to plan terms

• Paid Time Off earned on a biweekly accrual basis- Twenty-five (25) Days of Vacation Time, annually

• Five (5) Days of Medical/Sick Time, annually

• One (1) Day of Personal Time, monthly

• Eight (8) Week Paid Sabbatical, after three years of employment

• Bereavement leave.

• Company-paid federal holidays, all observed

• Eligible for Parental Leave which includes Twelve (12) paid weeks

• Mileage reimbursement for travel between offices and places of work.

• Relocation Assistance for out of state new hires available for some positions.

Application Process

This is an immediate opening. Salary is commensurate with experience. The position will remain open until we receive enough qualified applicants. To apply, please submit a cover letter detailing your interest in the position as well as your resume, three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates are encouraged to apply early. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The Florence Project values diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages applications from people of color, LGBTQ individuals, persons with disabilities, and members of underrepresented communities.

At FIRRP, we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the requirements of a job.  If your experience is close to what you see listed in our current job opportunities, please still consider applying.  Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and excellence, which is very much valued at FIRRP.  Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.  Please let us know if you require accommodations during the interview process.

This job announcement is for informational purposes only and is subject to change and modification without notice. This job announcement includes a non-exhaustive list of responsibilities, qualifications and requirements of the position, but does not necessarily include all the job functions of the position.  This position is eligible for membership in the union Proyecto Solidaridad-FIRRP affiliated with OPEIU Local 251.