MILAP Paralegal- Detained

Pro Bono Resource Cntr Md Bar; Salisbury (MD); Hybrid; USD 53,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k plan

Paid holidays

Job summary

The Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, Inc. (PBRC) seeks a motivated individual fluent in Spanish to join the Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project (MILAP). The role helps detained individuals access immigration services and to assist with habeas matters when needed.

Travel within Maryland and occasional in-person clinics are required, with mentorship provided. Responsibilities include supporting legal services for detained clients, assisting attorneys, collecting evidence, and tracking

Qualifications

• Spanish fluency is required.
• Bachelor's degree with paralegal or law-related experience preferred.
• Experience in community organizing/public outreach.

Responsibilities

• Support immigration legal services for detained Maryland residents.
• Assist attorneys with evidence gathering, forms, and translation under supervision.
• Track data on clients served and clinic effectiveness.
• Share resources and referral information with clients contacting PBRC.
• Help increase community awareness of resources and programs.
• Coordinate interpreter sign-ups and assess interpreter fluency.
• Support grant reporting duties as needed.

Skills

Spanish fluency

Public outreach

Community organizing

Education

Bachelor's Degree (paralegal or law-related)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Salesforce

Job description

Job Summary:

The Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, Inc. (PBRC) is seeking a highly motivated, organized, and bright individual who is fluent in Spanish to join the Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project to help increase access to PBRC's immigration legal services for individuals who are detained or at risk of detention because they have to check-in with ICE. MILAP gives free legal advice to people living in Maryland who must appear before the immigration court because they are at risk of deportation. In certain cases, MILAP steps in to provide limited and concrete legal services to help vulnerable families and children meet the deadlines in their cases (e.g., help complete application for asylum or assist the family with changing their court location to one that is closest to where they live). It is important that this individual have ready access to transportation to downtown Baltimore as the primary focus of the position will be to help field requests for services from individuals who are held at the Baltimore Hold Room and potentially help support the drafting of habeas requests that can be filed before the individual is transferred out of Maryland. Depending upon policy changes, the individual selected may also need to travel to other areas within Maryland where individuals are detained by ICE. The selected individual will also have regular in-person clinic days during which they will support the provision of detention prevention services to those who are checking-in with ICE up to 2 days per week, depending upon the volume of requests received by those who are detained. Mentorship and training will be offered.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Support the provision of immigration legal services to individuals detained within Maryland, primarily those held at the Baltimore Hold Room.
• Conduct brief presentations.
• Support attorneys offering pro se legal assistance and/or full-scope representation to individuals who are in removal proceedings (e.g. collecting evidence, interpretation, completing certain forms under the supervision and review of the assigned attorney).
• Track and summarize data related to clients served and effectiveness of legal clinics.
• Share referral information and resources with immigrants who contact PBRC seeking legal help.
• Increase community awareness about relevant resources, including brief legal advice clinics, case placement services and relevant city and state programs and social service resources.
• Work with MILAP Team to maintain and develop a network of community partners.
• Conduct client follow up and compile data regarding the impact of the MILAP.
• Coordinate and execute interpreter volunteer sign-ups and assess fluency of volunteer interpreters.
• Provide support to Project Director for grant reporting duties as needed.

Qualifications:

• Fluency in the Spanish language is required.
• Bachelor's Degree (paralegal or law-related experience preferred).
• Experience in community organizing/activism and/or public outreach.
• Must be available some evenings and weekends when community legal clinics occur (with advanced notice).
• Access to reliable transportation for frequent travel to PBRC's office, Baltimore Hold Room, and travel to other locations in Maryland.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational and record-keeping skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint)
• Proficiency in data collection and tracking preferred (prior Salesforce experience preferred)
• Ability to work well with people, including other staff, volunteers, clients, public interest organizations, governmental entities, Board members, and donors.
• Experience working with children and/or the immigrant community is preferred.
• Strong commitment to helping the community and ensuring equal access to justice.

Amenities:

• Competitive salary ranging from $53,000 - $58,000 depending on experience.
• Full-time position with excellent benefits package including paid health insurance, disability insurance, and employer-matched 401k plan; paid sick and vacation leave; and paid holidays.
• Hybrid in person/remote work.

PBRC's mission is to champion equitable access to justice for Maryland's marginalized communities by providing legal help, pioneering collaboration with partners, and advocating for economic and social justice.

PBRC is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity. We encourage all interested persons to apply including applicants of color, people with disabilities, and others historically underrepresented.

Flexible work from home options available.

Compensation: $53,000.00 - $58,000.00 per year

Who We Are

PBRC is Maryland's hub for pro bono (free) civil legal assistance provided by volunteers. Equal access to justice is a core value of our nation, yet hundreds of thousands of our state's residents cannot afford the legal help they desperately need and have no legal guarantee of a lawyer. As the pro bono arm of the Maryland State Bar Association, PBRC plays a unique role as the training, support, innovation, and advocacy center for pro bono. Our statewide services include:

• Offering a professional training and mentoring program with both substantive law and skills building sessions enabling lawyers and others to effectively serve clients
• Consulting and connecting volunteers with legal nonprofits across Maryland
• Hosting innovative, free legal clinics in the courthouse and community offering immediate legal assistance to low-income families in areas of critical need not yet addressed by other organizations
• Advocating and organizing to encourage pro bono service and improve the justice system for the communities we serve

Together, our community of lawyers with purpose is opening the doors of justice for everyone.

PBRC's mission is to champion equitable access to justice for Maryland's marginalized communities by providing legal help, pioneering collaboration with partners, and advocating for economic and social justice.