Children's Program Legal Assistant

The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a nonprofit organization that provides free immigration legal services to individuals in immigration detention and to children and their families throughout Colorado. RMIAN’s Children’s Program provides pro se support services through the Immigration Court Helpdesk and Family Group Legal Orientation Programs at the Denver Immigration Court and also directly represents immigrant children and their families who have been victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment, trafficking and violence through in-house representation and referrals to volunteer counsel through a robust pro bono referral program.

The Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) and Family Group Legal Orientation Programs (FGLOP) are government-funded programs that seek to educate and inform immigrants in removal proceedings by providing information about legal rights, court procedures, and relief from removal. In addition to providing general information in a group setting, members of the ICH/FGLOP team also conduct individual information sessions to screen cases for referral to volunteer pro bono counsel, RMIAN direct representation staff attorneys, or for additional pro se support. Additionally, the ICH/FGLOP team is responsible for providing friend of the court support when necessary, and self-help workshops to people facing removal proceedings without the assistance of counsel.

RMIAN has an immediate opening for a full-time Legal Assistant in the RMIAN Children’s Program to work with the ICH and FGLOP programs. RMIAN is seeking a colleague who possesses a shared drive to support unrepresented families at the Denver Immigration Court. The Legal Assistant will support and collaborate with other members of the ICH/FGLOP team under the direction of the Children’s Program Senior Staff Attorney and in alignment with the goals of RMIAN’s Children’s Program, led by its Managing Attorney.

This position is meant for an advocate who is exceptionally organized and efficient, who is a systems-thinker, who is passionate about providing equal access to all, who enjoys working directly with immigrant families, and who is proactive and can work independently. This is an ideal position for someone who wants to work closely with immigrant families in removal proceedings, and who wants to provide essential support to individuals without access to legal representation.

The ideal candidate:

• Has experience and familiarity with working with immigrant families – this person is called to this field and is passionate about RMIAN’s work and mission.
• Is exceptionally organized, detail-oriented, careful and methodical about ensuring accuracy, timeliness and high-quality work.
• Is able to be responsive and act on time-sensitive tasks- this person can easily pivot when emergent situations arise, is skilled at time management, and is able to triage to meet time-sensitive deadlines.
• Is able to work autonomously and independently – this person doesn’t require micromanaging and can be trusted to meet deadlines and compete tasks in a timely manner.
• Is collegial and collaborative with others on a team and ready to pitch in to support colleagues when needed.
• Is skilled at communicating with recent-arrival immigrant families and building trust and rapport. The ideal candidate acts with empathy, patience and poise, is confident speaking to individuals from diverse backgrounds and is willing to take the time to develop trust and ensure understanding with participants. Demonstrated cultural competency is essential for serving RMIAN’s diverse client population.
• Is willing to provide administrative support and assistance to ensure the ICH/FGLOP program runs smoothly and efficiently, providing the highest level of services possible to participants.

Responsibilities:

Direct ICH/FGLOP Services (95%)
• Support RMIAN attorneys in providing group information sessions and orientation to families in removal proceedings before the Denver Immigration Court. Assist attorneys with scheduling, preparing and conducting individual information sessions, self-help workshops, friend of the court assistance, and screenings for referrals to pro bono volunteer attorneys and RMIAN staff attorneys.
• Support RMIAN’s pro bono efforts to match as many cases as possible with free legal representation. Assist with screening cases, communicating with individuals, and gathering records.
• Conduct all required data entry and compile weekly and monthly reports for ICH/FGLOP program.
• Administer mailings for participants and process incoming mail.
• Respond to phone calls from families appearing before the Denver Immigration Court and schedule appointments.
• Maintain and update RMIAN’s case management software and other filing systems.
• Assist in the development and translation of materials for distribution to ICH/FGLOP participants.
• Provide administrative support services as needed.

Outreach, Community Education, and Development Efforts (5%)
• Participate in RMIAN’s outreach, community education, communication, and development efforts and assist with other tasks as needed.

Location:
• This position is based out of RMIAN’s office located in Westminster, Colorado but requires frequent travel to the Denver Immigration Court. RMIAN’s operations are primarily remote during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this position will require in-person services at the Downtown Denver Immigration Court.