Legal Assistant

Ellen Freeman Immigration Law Group, PLLC; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Extensive PTO

Bonus opportunities

401(k) after one year of service

Pension plan

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Ellen Freeman Immigration Law Group, PLLC in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood seeks a paralegal-ready candidate to support intake, document management, and case processing in a busy immigration practice.

The role emphasizes meticulous data handling, proficiency with MS Office, and familiarity with immigration databases, with a local, in-office requirement and a two-year commitment before graduate school.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to interact with a diverse client base professionally.
• Strong organizational skills and detail-oriented approach.
• Comfort with switching between tasks and assisting others as needed.

Responsibilities

• Interfacing with clients via phone and email to gather information and conduct intake, coordinate document transfer, and evaluate documents against internal checklists.
• Setting up matters in our internal document management system, sharing access and questionnaires with clients, and assisting in troubleshooting as needed.
• Creating profiles and cases in internal immigration software with the correct forms and parties involved.
• Drafting case-related letters, forms, and other documents for paralegal review.
• Emailing clients with documents and instructions, including sharing copies of filed cases with any appropriate redactions.
• Managing daily mail, distributing notices to clients via email, and ensuring documentation is mailed to the correct client address in a timely manner.
• Reviewing and updating internal lists, profiling documents, and setting reminders for all cases.
• Learning and assisting paralegals with online application processes, including using the myUSCIS, FLAG, and CEAC databases.
• Printing and assembling cases for filing, as well as conducting quality assurance review of filings.
• Maintaining a calendar of deadlines and tracking the progress of cases daily.
• Assisting paralegals in liaising with government agencies, including USCIS, CBP, DOS, and DOL.
• Updating and creating presentation materials using internal information, when required.
• Troubleshooting standard office equipment, as necessary.
• Working as part of a team and assisting coworkers as needed.

Skills

Client intake

Verbal & written communication

Time management

Team collaboration

Microsoft Office proficiency

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree (earned or in progress)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Cerenade eImmigration

NetDocuments

Job description

About Freeman Immigration:

Ellen Freeman Immigration Law Group is led by Attorney Ellen Freeman who brings over 25 years of experience in employment-based immigration solutions. The firm services corporate clients in a wide variety of industries with a focus on pharma, biotech, engineering, supply chain management, AI, manufacturing, energy, academia, healthcare, hospitality, and the arts. Services include employment-based immigrant petitions. Since its formation in March of 2019, our firm has been recognized as one of the Best Law Firms in America.

As a leader in her field, Ellen is a frequent speaker and writer on topics of employment-based immigration. Ellen is viewed by her peers as a mentor and authority in the field of business immigration law. Ellen has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, listed as an Elite Thought Leader in Lexology/Who’s Who in Corporate Immigration, and is AV-Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Ellen’s reputation as a leader in the field of employment-based immigration is built on excellence, perseverance, kindness, honesty, and hard work. As an employee of the firm, you will be expected to embody the firm’s core values. We treat every client with utmost respect, empathy, kindness, and dedication. While small in size, our firm competes with the largest practices around the country. Your communication, interaction with clients and co-workers, personal presentation, and work product must communicate our firm’s core values.

We think we are a special place—made all the more so by our commitment to repairing the world by improving the lives of our clients and employees, and dedicating efforts to enhance our community – both in and outside of our workplace. We do so by showing kindness to one another and building trust; engaging in relentless advocacy; always striving for excellence; and practicing intellectual curiosity and growth.

Our core values are:

Repair the World

Improve the lives of our employees, clients, and community at large

Demonstrate Kindness

In every interaction

Advocate Relentlessly

Persevere so that others can achieve their dreams

Strive for Excellence

Produce superior quality work

Learn and explore the world to improve self and craft

We are looking for like-minded individuals who champion our core values. Specific job duties for this position will include:

• Interfacing with clients via phone and email to gather information and conduct intake, coordinate document transfer, and evaluate documents against internal checklists;
• Setting up matters in our internal document management system, sharing access and questionnaires with clients, and assisting in troubleshooting as needed;
• Creating profiles and cases in internal immigration software with the correct forms and parties involved;
• Drafting case-related letters, forms, and other documents for paralegal review;
• Emailing clients with documents and instructions, including sharing copies of filed cases with any appropriate redactions;
• Managing daily mail, distributing notices to clients via email, and ensuring that documentation is mailed to the correct client address in a timely manner;
• Reviewing and updating internal lists, profiling documents, and setting reminders for all cases, thereby ensuring that client data is accurate and updated in all forms and internal systems;
• Learning and assisting paralegals with online application processes, including using the myUSCIS, FLAG, and CEAC databases;
• Printing and assembling cases for filing, as well as conducting quality assurance review of filings;
• Maintaining a calendar of deadlines and tracking the progress of cases daily, as well as responding to clients’ status inquiries;
• Assisting paralegals in liaising with government agencies, including USCIS, CBP, DOS, and DOL;
• Updating and creating presentation materials using internal information, when required;
• Troubleshooting standard office equipment, as necessary; and
• Working as part of a team and assisting coworkers as needed.

Featured Benefits:

Medical insurance, extensive PTO, bonus opportunities, 401(k) after one year of service, pension plan, and commuter benefits.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Ability to interact with a diverse client base in a professional and service-oriented manner;
• Full proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and comfort with learning new software programs. Familiarity with immigration form databases (Cerenade eImmigration, NetDocuments, etc.) a plus;
• Comfort with switching between tasks, assuming different responsibilities, and assisting others as the need arises;
• Strong organizational skills and a detail-oriented approach;
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize workload and deal with stress in a fast-paced work environment;
• Effective under pressure and in high-volume situations with multiple priorities and deadlines;
• Ability to demonstrate proactiveness and persistence in daily work;
• Excellent analytical thinking, research experience, and problem-solving skills; and
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Experience, Education, and Additional Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (earned or in progress);
• Desire to learn about immigration law;
• Authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer;
• Ability to commute to the office. This position is local to our office in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh and is NOT available in a fully remote capacity; and
• This position requires a two (2) year commitment prior to going to graduate school.

Please note that salary is commensurate with immigration law-related work experience in a relevant work environment.