Administrative Assistant - Immigration Unit

The-Public-Law-Center; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Flexible Spending Account

Paid holidays

Sick days

Vacation days

Wellness days

Birthday PTO

403b retirement plan

Wi‑Fi/cell phone stipend

Bilingual pay premium

Growth opportunities

Job summary

The Public Law Center’s Immigration Unit seeks an energetic advocate to support justice for Orange County’s immigrant communities through community-centered lawyering. The role focuses on administrative support, client intake, and coordination of legal clinics, with occasional evenings or weekends required.

Ideal candidates will have a bachelor’s degree, 1–3 years nonprofit or law office experience, and strong Microsoft Office skills, along with a commitment to serving immigrant communities and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
• 1–3 years of experience in a non-profit organization or law office preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and willingness to learn other software programs.
• Demonstrated commitment to working with immigrant or other marginalized communities.
• Strong organizational and multi-tasking abilities.
• Strong oral and written communication skills with diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to the Immigration Unit, including filing, scanning, and handling incoming/outgoing mail (including legal filings).
• Conduct client appointments for document drop off/pick up and/or signature collection.
• Make client calls for legal clinics, including drafting/sending correspondence, scheduling, and case investigation/document collection.
• Conduct client screenings, including issue spotting, conflict checks, and eligibility determinations.
• Assist with interpretation and translation for staff and volunteer attorneys as needed.
• Support immigration legal clinics, workshops, and community education events (evenings/weekends may be required).
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned.

Skills

Oral communications

Written communications

Organizational skills

Client/patient interaction

Bilingual (if applicable)

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

Outlook

Job description

About the role

The Public Law Center (PLC)’s Immigration Unit is seeking an energetic, passionate advocate to join our team in fighting for justice for Orange County’s immigrant communities through innovative, collaborative, community-centered lawyering.

PLC’s Immigration Unit provides fearless direct legal representation to, in addition to coordinating and supervising pro bono representation for, survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, persecution and other crimes (U Visas, T Visas, VAWA, asylum, and adjustment of status); children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected (Special Immigrant Juvenile Status); young people who arrived as children (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals); lawful permanent residents seeking U.S. Citizenship (naturalization); and for immigrants in Immigration Court proceedings (both detained and non-detained removal defense).

Position Description

• Full-time position, requiring 5 days in the office
• Subject to probationary period during first 6 months of continuous employment
• Reports to co-supervising attorney and lead paralegal

What you'll do

• Provide administrative support to the Immigration Unit, such as filing, scanning, and processing incoming/outgoing mail (including legal filings)
• Conduct client appointments for document drop off/pick up and/or signature collection
• Conduct client calls for legal clinics, including drafting/sending correspondence, appointment scheduling, and completing case investigation and document collection
• Conduct client screenings, including legal issue-spotting, conflict checks, and eligibility determinations over the phone and in-person
• Assist with interpretation and translation for staff and volunteer attorneys as needed
• Participate in and support with immigration legal clinics, workshops, and community education events (occasional evening or weekend work may be required)
• Other administrative duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required
• 1-3 years of work experience in a non-profit organization or law office preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook) and willingness to learn other software programs
• Demonstrated commitment to working with immigrant or other marginalized communities
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks
• Strong oral and written communications skills, with the ability to communicate with a variety of audiences including clients, community partners, and volunteer attorneys

Salary & Benefits

• Compensation dependent on experience; range of $25.00/hour to $27.00/hour
• Competitive benefits provided, and for this position include:
• Health, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance (100% of employee premium costs paid by PLC, and 50% of dependent health insurance premium costs paid by PLC)
• Flexible Spending Account Program to help pay for medical expenses and childcare costs
• 15 paid holidays per year
• Approximately 1 week paid off during office winter closure (between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day)
• 21 paid sick days per year
• 15 paid vacation days per year
• 2 paid wellness days per month to promote mental wellness and general wellbeing
• Birthday paid time off (2 hours of paid time off during birthday month)
• 403b retirement plan (after 6 months of employment PLC provides a matching contribution equaling 100% of salary deferral up to a maximum of 3-4%, depending on length of employment)
• Monthly $55 stipend for Wi-Fi and cell phone use
• Bilingual Pay Premium upon successful completion of an oral and/or written test ($50 for oral premium and $50 for written premium per pay period)
• Opportunities for growth and advancement

Public Law Center is dedicated to building a diverse team and fostering a fair and welcoming work environment. To view our complete DEI statement, please click here.

Public Law Center is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, please contact Public Law Center.

PLC will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.

PLC regrets that it is unable to sponsor employment Visas or consider individuals on time-limited Visa status for this position.