Refugee & Immigrant Program Assistant

The Fellow will work with prospective clients to screen their cases for placement with volunteer attorneys, gather and track data related to our clients, supervise interns conducting phone intake and also writing summaries of potential cases, including asylum applicants, trafficking survivors, and unaccompanied minors. The Volunteer will also assist staff attorneys that support volunteer attorneys locally and nationally. The Volunteer must be able to communicate with non-English speakers and people of varied cultural backgrounds. The Volunteer also must be professional, have strong written and oral communication skills, be flexible, and be extremely organized.

Conduct telephone screening and asylum intake interviews and other immigration relief. Responsibilities include screening detained and non-detained potential clients for service eligibility, making referrals, and participation in weekly case intake reviews with other legal services program staff to determine eligibility for ongoing representation.
Maintain client electronic and paper case files and other clerical duties necessary to support the legal services project. Draft and edit case summaries and correspondence with attorneys and clients. Assist staff attorneys with legal cases and when staff attorneys support and mentor volunteer attorneys.
Help coordinate volunteer interpreter panel. Includes fielding requests from volunteer attorneys for interpretation of documents or in person translation and sending requests via e-mail to interpreter list serve and coordinating assignments.
Assist with day-to-day supervision of program interns.
General responsibilities of all staff (staff meetings, etc).
Volunteers with Spanish or other language proficiency will assist with client intake, translation and interpretation, including providing services to individuals detained in immigration custody. Interpret for client intake interviews for detained immigrants prior to court hearings (Spanish speakers).
Assist with outreach to refugee and immigrant communities to increase awareness of legal services program
Research human rights conditions in country to provide context for potential asylum cases and to convey information to volunteer attorneys.
Assist with maintaining and updating website and other resources. Work together with other program assistants to share responsibilities and achieve goals.