Legal Secretary

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota; Minnesota; Hybrid; USD 25,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid Family & Medical Leave

Training/professional development budget

Job summary

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota is seeking a Legal Secretary to provide essential support to legal teams, especially the New Beginnings team. In this hybrid role, you will work with immigrants and refugees, ensuring they receive competent legal representation.

This position offers flexible work arrangements, a starting pay of $25.57/hr, and a comprehensive benefits package that enhances work-life balance and community impact.

Qualifications

• Experience working in an attorney’s office is preferred.
• Fluency in a language spoken by a significant proportion of ILCM’s client population is preferred.
• Experience with LegalServer or other time-keeping programs is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support attorneys in providing legal representation and advice.
• Create and maintain accurate client records.
• Facilitate translation of documents for clients.

Skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Fluency in Spanish

Experience in an attorney's office

Familiarity with immigrant communities

Tools

LegalServer

Job description

Title

Legal Secretary

Location

Flexible work environment with hybrid & in-office options; based out of Twin Cities Metro Area, MN outstate offices, or Fargo, ND.

Introduction

The Legal Secretary provides support to legal teams, in particular our New Beginnings team. The Legal Secretary performs a range of administrative and case support duties to assist ILCM staff.

What’s it for you?

• The opportunity to make an impact in the community by enhancing opportunities for immigrants and refugees in Minnesota and North Dakota.
• We believe in work-life harmony. This role offers the flexibility to blend remote work within office collaboration.
• We provide paid leave including the following:
  • Paid Time Off – Employee earns 12.5 hours per month during the first 2 years of employment (4 weeks), 15.625 per month in years 2-5 (5 weeks), and 18.75 per month after 5 years (6 weeks). Employees can carry up to 80 hours of unused leave from year to year.
  • Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST): In compliance with Minnesota law, ILCM provides employees with paid sick & safe leave under this policy. All employees will receive eighty (80) hours of sick and safe time, or pro‑rated upon the commencement of employment. Unused sick and safe time will not be carried over from one calendar year to the next, nor will it be paid out at the end of each year.
  • Holiday Leave: Most major federal holidays off including the days between Christmas Eve and New Years Day. In addition, ILCM offers one floating holiday and the opportunity to exchange holidays that don’t fall within an employee's religious or cultural background (i.e., alternative holidays).
  • Paid Family & Medical Leave: In compliance with Minnesota statute. See Handbook and Benefits Guide for more information.
• We provide competitive benefits including the following:
  • Medical, dental and vision insurance (with employer contributions)
  • Employer‑paid life and disability coverage (voluntary life insurance is available at employee cost)
  • SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with employer match
  • FSA and HSA with employer contributions (HSA is only available for employees enrolled in our HSA medical plan)
  • Pet Benefits & Pet Discount Program with employer contributions
  • A remote connectivity stipend of $50/month
  • Payment for organizational/membership dues
  • Training/professional development budget of $500/year

Why ILCM?

• You will work in a place that values diversity, equity, and belonging. We encourage new ideas, value multiple perspectives, and foster a supportive environment where each role matters.
• We offer competitive and transparent compensation. We aim to ensure that pay, benefits, and career progression reflect your contributions, impact, and market value.
• You will work with a committed organization dedicated to serving and empowering clients. ILCM’s values are grounded in respect for and partnership with our immigrant and refugee clients.

Primary Responsibilities 90%

40% Case Support

• Support attorneys and accredited representatives in providing full legal representation, brief services, legal advice, and referrals to low‑income immigrants and refugees, including:
  • Providing information and referrals to clients.
  • Calling clients to set up appointments.
  • Requesting and obtaining documents from clients and government agencies.
  • Meeting clients to obtain signatures on immigration forms, applications, and filings.
  • Mailing immigration filings to USCIS.
  • Sending file copies and documents to clients.
  • Preparing letters for client communication.
  • Scanning and uploading client documents to LegalServer case management system.
  • Making copies of files for internal records.

30% Administrative Support

• Create new client files in LegalServer as well as physical files.
• Maintain accurate and timely client records in compliance with organizational policies, governmental contracts, grant requirements, and best practices.
• Prepare and process letters and case files in LegalServer.
• Maintain team SharePoint folder organization and update documents as resources as needed.
• Support on data collection and grant reports.

10% Language Support

• Provide document translation related to case matters either by completing the translation or facilitating translation of documents through vendors.
• Prepare materials and correspondence in one of the primary languages that our clients speak (Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Karen), if applicable.
• Organize materials related to outreach events.
• Print and copy materials prior to events.

Secondary Responsibilities – 10%

• Complete time records for financial management, grant reporting, and compliance purposes.
• Participate in legal team meetings, case reviews, and monthly all‑staff meetings.
• Assist with unscheduled walk‑in clients, as needed.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

*Note that this position does not have a pathway to D.O.J. accreditation.

Qualifications – Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Experience working in an attorney’s office, preferred.
• Fluency in a language spoken by a significant proportion of ILCM’s client population, such as Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Amharic, Oromo, Karen, or Karenni, preferred.
• Experience with LegalServer and/or other time‑keeping programs preferred.
• Able to work well cross‑departmentally, handle multiple assignments and meet deadlines.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving abilities.
• Familiarity with diverse refugee and immigrant communities, community agencies, and resources.
• Passion for serving the low‑income immigrant and refugee community and experience working with persons of diverse economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.

Compensation

ILCM is proud to offer a competitive compensation package which includes a starting pay of $25.57/hr, depending on experience & according to scale. Additionally, ILCM offers a comprehensive benefits package as described above.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ILCM is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. ILCM provides equal opportunity to all applicants for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws and will not refuse to hire any qualified individual, or otherwise discriminate against any individual by reason of an employee’s race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, or any other characteristic protected by law. ILCM is committed to providing all reasonable accommodations required by law to qualified individuals with disabilities who are applicants for employment and/or who are employed at ILCM.