Spanish Speaker Legal Assistant

AGENCY OVERVIEW:

Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS) has served the San Francisco Bay Area for 175 years. We offer world-class services to support individuals and families across all stages of life, including adoption, mental health, senior care, disability services, financial assistance, Holocaust education, and youth development. Our mission and work are rooted in Jewish values, and we serve people of all faiths and backgrounds.

The Legal Services program assists Bay Area immigrants with legal help, citizenship classes, counseling, disabilities issues, restitution for Holocaust survivors, and more. We serve people from all over the world and in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Russian, and Hebrew.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Director of Legal Services, the Legal Assistant (Full-time Flex) plays a central role in providing administrative assistance and case support for the Legal Services Department.  The Legal Assistant is responsible for the completion of immigration-related forms, corresponding with clients and immigration agencies, and interpreting/translating for clients. Working in a team environment, the Legal Assistant is expected to maintain a solid working relationship with the Legal Services team and its clients and will provide clear and accurate information, assistance, and follow-up to our target populations.  

The Legal Assistant position anticipates 75% of time spent in our San Francisco office and 25% of time spent in our Palo Alto office, but this may be adjusted as needed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

• Pay Range:  $26 - $28/hour (depending on experience)
• Employment Type: full-time, non-exempt position with benefits
• Employer 403(b) retirement match plus additional employer contribution (subject to eligibility)
• Cafeteria benefits plan that lets you customize coverage to fit your needs, with options like health insurance, FSAs, retirement plans, and wellness programs
• 16 holidays (10 federal and up to 6 Jewish holidays), annually
• 3 weeks of vacation and 2 weeks of sick leave, annually
• In-person position, no hybrid or remote

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Executes the day-to-day administrative support functions of the program with minimal supervision
• Provides all aspects of excellent customer service relations for our program by serving as the primary point of contact for Legal Services clients, responding to general inquiries via phone or email, and, directing messages to the appropriate Legal Services Department team member
• Meets with clients one-on-one in person
• Assists the Director of Legal Services and/or staff attorneys and accredited representatives with the preparation of USCIS forms, consular processing documents, and supplementary materials for client filings; Tracks the progress of individual cases and prepares case documents for filings, interviews, and hearings for review by an attorney or DOJ-accredited representative 
• Physically preparing paper applications to file by mail with USCIS, filing documents in clients’ physical case files, and organizing paper case files and documents
• Responds to client inquiries and proactively informs clients regarding the current status of their cases and any documentation they need to provide
• Contacts immigration governmental offices (USCIS, NVC, etc.) to follow up on the status of cases

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

• We’re looking for a candidate with demonstrated interest in working with underserved populations seeking legal services
• Fluency in Spanish required
• High School Graduate or higher education required; J.D. or paralegal certification preferred
• Prior experience in immigration law preferred
• A minimum of 1 year of progressive work experience in an administrative support environment
• Intermediate proficiency working with Microsoft Office Suite including MS Outlook and MS Outlook Calendar is required
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to issues regarding immigration and naturalization, and cross-cultural communications required
• Have the ability to commute to both San Francisco and Palo Alto offices

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, including minorities, women, veterans, and disabled individuals. Qualified applicants with arrest and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran, or disability status. JFCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.