Position Summary:

Provides direct immigration assistance to persons/families needing immigration legal assistance within the scope of Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services (CC-ILS). This position provides legal representation to persons. The services include, among others, the following: (a) giving general consultation both on a collective and individual basis, (b) completing and filing forms with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) on behalf of clients, (c) representing clients before the Department of Homeland Security United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), (d) networking with other community-based legal service providers in the area of advocacy efforts and policy changes.

Essential Job Functions:

Responsibility

Immigration legal assistance

• Conduct legal consultations to determine if clients are eligible for federal immigration benefits.
• Complete appropriate immigration applications for clients.
• Conduct legal research to ensure compliance with immigration laws and regulations.
• Manage naturalization workshop registrations, preparation of files and planning of quarterly workshops.
•  Represent clients before the Department of Homeland Security after applying for and receiving Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation from the Office of Legal Access Program (OLAP).
• Conduct on-site consultations at partner sites.
• Maintain all case records and documentation mandated by Catholic Charities and CC-ILS policies and procedures.
• Make appropriate referrals as necessary for immigration legal services beyond the scope of the program’s or one’s own competencies, and for other social service needs.

Community outreach

• Actively participate or present relevant immigration information to the immigrant and nonimmigrant communities periodically as needed.
• Assist in public relations efforts which increase the visibility of CC-ILS, publicize immigration issues faced by immigrants and raise community awareness on immigration issues.

Quality Improvement

• Participate in monthly round table discussion of immigration files as well as weekly meetings with Director, ILS.
• Conduct weekly gold sheet review on peers’ files before documentation is mailed to USCIS.
• Conduct open and closed case file reviews as mandated by Council on Accreditation.
• Collect data for United Way and other funding sources.

Performs other related duties as assigned by management.

*Reliable attendance is an on-going essential job function.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Must be bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Understanding of, and sensitivity to, people of low-income and multi-cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to work with and be sensitive to non-English speakers.
• Must be able to work with victims of domestic violence and be sensitive to their needs and situation.
• Ability to function as an active, collaborative, team member, sometimes across agency lines.
• Ability to translate between English and Spanish and vice versa, fluently and accurately.
• Knowledge of the U.S. immigration system desirable.
• Ability to read, analyze and apply legal material to clients’ cases.
• Ability to interview clients, listening for information and following up with additional, appropriate questions.
• Ability to present information effectively to an adult group in a public education forum.
• Knowledge and ability to access the internet and research legal information.
• Ability to be detail oriented and manage a large caseload.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects and ensure all deadlines are met.
• Ability to be organized and delegate tasks to other members of the team to complete.
• Computer proficiency including MS Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook.
• Ability to qualify for Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation.

Required of All Positions:

• Knowledge and support of Catholic Charities’ purpose, mission, vision, values, and ethical standards.
• Knowledge and support of the Catholic Charities Compliance Program requirements including – but not limited to – the Code of Ethics, the Compliance Policy, and all relevant compliance procedures.
• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics

Work Experience:

• Work experience in legal research and writing preferred (1-3 years).
• Work experience in the immigration legal field, other legal field or social service preferred (1-3 years).
• Experience working one-on-one, with people dealing with very personal information requiring confidentiality preferred (1-3 years).

Education Level:

• High School Diploma or Equivalent
• 4-Year College Degree or prior work experience in the legal field (1-3 years) required

Licensure, Certifications, and other Designations: 

• Partial Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation within six months of hire.
• Valid Nebraska Driver’s License and Insurability.
• CPR & First Aid Certification.

Working Conditions: 

• Working conditions are typical of an office environment. In-state travel is required on a weekly basis. In-state and out of state travel for training is required to maintain Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation. 
• Occasional night and weekend outreach presentations/consultations and naturalization workshops are required.

The statements within this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed by an employee, and are not to be interpreted as an exhaustive list of responsibilities or required skills. Additionally, this job description does not establish a contract for employment and is subject to change at the discretion of the employer.