12-Month ProSe Service Paralegal

Position Title: 12-Month Pro Se Services Paralegal
Reports To: Pro Se Services Coordinator / Senior DOJ Accredited Representative
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

About the Organization

New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) is a social justice organization whose mission is to advance equity and justice by empowering low-income immigrant communities through collaborative legal services, advocacy, and education. Each year, NMILC provides direct legal representation and assistance in immigration matters to thousands of immigrants and advocates for laws and policies that respect the rights of immigrants. NMILC’s model focuses on establishing relationships with local, state, and national organizations and governmental institutions to expand access to legal services for historically marginalized immigrant communities.

NMILC is seeking an individual with strong interpersonal and communication skills who can provide intake support to community members seeking services at NMILC.

Position Overview

The Pro Se Services Paralegal provides high-quality legal support to immigrants throughout New Mexico by assisting eligible individuals with the preparation of immigration applications, with a focus on U.S. citizenship, green card renewals, and DACA renewal applications. Working under the supervision of DOJ Accredited Representatives and/or attorneys, the Paralegal conducts client intake and eligibility screening, reviews supporting documentation, prepares immigration forms and application packets, and provides clients with accurate information regarding the application process.

The Pro Se Services Paralegal is responsible for maintaining accurate case records, monitoring case progress, preparing correspondence, processing incoming and outgoing client documents and mail, and ensuring that case files are complete and compliant with organizational standards. Applicants must be able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment and work closely with other staff members and volunteers who provide back-up support.

This position is suited for an individual who is organized and detail-oriented, compassionate and patient, and who enjoys working directly with clients.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate:

• Has some understanding of immigration law and experience working directly with clients, and is passionate about NMILC’s work and mission.


• Is exceptionally organized and excellent at multitasking; prioritizes tasks with minimal guidance, works efficiently, has a strong eye for detail, and can manage multiple projects running in parallel while meeting time-sensitive deadlines.


• Is able to work autonomously and independently; shapes their own workflow, does not require micromanagement, and can be trusted to manage and meet deadlines and complete tasks in a timely manner.


• Is a strong team player; engages in direct communication, demonstrates empathy, listens actively, problem-solves effectively, understands the importance of constructive feedback, builds trust easily, and collaborates closely with colleagues and supervisors.


• Is dedicated to person-centered legal representation; communicates clearly with clients, builds trust and rapport, feels confident speaking with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and takes the time to ensure understanding and support for each client.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with attorneys, DOJ Accredited Representatives, reception staff, legal staff, volunteers, and interns to ensure high-quality client services.


• Conduct client intake interviews and eligibility screenings for the Pro Se Services team (phone and in-person), including gathering information and data to verify eligibility for services, summarizing prospective clients’ legal problems, and documenting requests for services.


• Apply NMILC eligibility guidelines, priorities, and current case acceptance criteria to evaluate the level of assistance that can be offered.


• Work directly with immigrant clients and NMILC’s legal representatives to prepare immigration cases and application packets.


• Respond to incoming telephone calls related to the Pro Se Services team and make outgoing telephone calls as needed.


• Monitor case progress, track deadlines, and conduct timely follow-up with clients regarding missing documents, appointments, and case updates.


• Provide support services to staff, including logging incoming client mail, sending packets when requested, monitoring team email/voicemail/texts, and returning client calls under supervision.


• Review client documents for completeness and accuracy and identify missing information or documentation.


• Attend regular in-person legal workshops, legal clinics, outreach events, and community education presentations to assist community members with immigration matters, focusing on citizenship, green card renewals, and DACA.


• Contribute to continuous improvement of the Pro Se Services team by identifying opportunities to enhance client experience, efficiency, and quality of services.


• In collaboration with the Pro Se Services managerial team, support maintenance of systems for legal files, including Legal Server, Dropbox, and paper files; assist with filing, scanning, records management, storage, retrieval, and archiving closed case files, both physical and electronic.


• Provide large-scale print, mailing, and filing assistance to the Pro Se Services team to ensure such jobs are completed accurately and in a timely manner.


• Ensure consistent, accurate, and timely file maintenance and data entry into NMILC’s case management system; follow NMILC case management protocols, legal ethical standards, and grant compliance requirements for allocation and reporting. Perform other data entry as assigned.


• Ensure all Time and Attendance reports are accurate, adhere to program and grant funding guidelines, and are completed on time.


• Perform administrative duties as needed to support the mission and operations of the Pro Se Services team.


• Perform other duties as assigned.

Professional Qualifications

• At least 1–2 years of administrative or legal support experience; experience within immigration or nonprofit law is strongly preferred.


• Excellent organizational and time-management skills with strong attention to detail.


• Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights and eagerness to support NMILC’s mission, vision, and values, as outlined at nmilc.org/values.


• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish required, with strong written and verbal communication skills in both languages; additional languages are a plus.


• Understanding and familiarity with immigration law and processes is a plus.


• Strong client interviewing skills and desire to interact with many people on a daily basis.


• Ability to identify and implement efficiencies in individual work and team processes.


• Ability to prioritize workload, manage time and tasks, and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.


• Excellent client-centered customer service skills.


• Commitment to working in a diverse and inclusive environment.


• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment.


• Strong interpersonal skills for effective interaction with clients and staff.

Salary and Benefits 

Starting hourly rate for this position is $23.00/hour with upward adjustments for additional years of relevant experience.  

NMILC currently offers a generous benefits package, including; 

• Health insurance covered at 100% for exceptional health, vision and dental plans for the employee and qualifying family members; 

• Access to a 401K plan and discretionary employer match up to 10% of base salary (determined each fiscal year based on funding projections); 

• Optional Flexible Spending Account for pre-tax funds for medical and/or dependent care cost. 

Benefits may be subject to change at any time based on changes to the organization’s budget. 

NMILC also recognizes the value of creating an environment of positive work/life balance, acknowledging that investing in staff’s ability to take care of themselves and their families enables them to do their best work. Our paid holiday schedule is exceptional and contributes to each of us enjoying a good work/life balance. The plan currently includes:

• Company-paid federal holidays in addition to 2 weeks of winter break, 1 week for spring break, and 1 week for summer break, and other days as established in coordination with the local public-school schedule.
  

• Three week paid vacation annually;
  


• 1 earned sick leave hour for every 30 hours worked;


• Up to 5 hours of paid break/meal time each week.