Project Coordinator (Bilingual)

New York City Bar Association; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 53,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

The City Bar Justice Center’s Immigrant Justice Project at the New York City Bar Association seeks a Project Coordinator who is bilingual in English and Spanish to support asylum seekers, survivors, and clients seeking humanitarian relief. The role collaborates with volunteer attorneys and CBJC staff to manage cases and provide clerical assistance.

Responsibilities include client intake and interviews, case management support, data entry, and coordination of trainings and legal clinics in a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or substantial equivalent work experience in a professional setting.
• Minimum 6 months of work experience (internships acceptable).
• Bilingual English/Spanish fluency required—written and spoken.
• Strong data-entry, organizational and project management skills; attention to detail; effective communication.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and ability to learn case management, CRM and court databases.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the first point of contact for immigrants seeking legal assistance, conducting eligibility screening and client interviews.
• Provide administrative support for IJP’s case management, maintain client and volunteer databases, and assist with reporting.
• Provide client support and manage appointments with care and compassion, using multiple channels for sensitive follow-up.
• Provide organizational support for trainings, clinics, and community outreach events.
• Conduct legal research and draft initial papers or applications under supervision.
• Liaise with attorney volunteers from large law firms and corporate legal departments.
• Provide general administrative support and assist with new programming within CBJC projects.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Data entry

Project management

Organizational skills

Verbal and written communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Case management software

Job description

POSITION:Project Coordinator (Bilingual), Immigrant Justice Project

DEPARTMENT:City Bar Justice Center

POSITION REPORTS TO:Attorney Project Director

LOCATION:Hybrid (New York, NY)

FLSA STATUS: Non-exempt (Local 153, Office and Professional Employees International Union)

The City Bar Justice Center is the largest division of the New York City Bar Association's charitable affiliate, the City Bar Fund. For nearly 50 years, our organization has furthered access to justice by addressing the unmet civil legal needs of New Yorkers facing poverty and other systemic socioeconomic barriers. CBJC annually provides high-quality, free civil legal services benefiting over 23,000 New Yorkers who lack the resources to hire private counsel. CBJC also relies on partnerships with our affiliate, the New York City Bar Association, as well as with law firms, corporate legal departments, solo practitioners, law schools, the courts, and other stakeholders. Last year, over 3,300 pro bono attorneys donated services to support clinics and client work drawn from CBJC’s dozen civil legal services projects.

PROGRAM FUNCTION

The City Bar Justice Center’s Immigrant Justice Project (IJP) assists asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home countries, survivors of violent crimes and trafficking here in the United States, and individuals seeking humanitarian protection and other forms of immigration relief. We match many CBJC immigration clients with pro bono attorneys and provide mentoring and guidance throughout the representation, as well as hold legal assistance clinics, know your rights presentations, and other trainings.

JOB FUNCTION

The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) seeks an enthusiastic and organized individual who is committed to equal access to justice to join our team as a Project Coordinator – a role that is similar to a legal assistant or paralegal.

This role works closely with another IJP Project Coordinator and under the supervision of IJP’s two attorney Project Directors to handle the following areas of responsibility, among others:

• Serve as the first point of contact for immigrants seeking legal assistance, conducting eligibility screening and client interviews and providing case assessment support.


• Provide administrative support for IJP’s case management, carefully maintain client and volunteer databases, diligently track case statistics, and assist with grant and other reporting responsibilities.


• Provide client support and manage appointments with care and compassion, and use varied methods of communication to provide sensitive follow-up and case support to clients seeking our assistance at very vulnerable moments in their lives.


• Provide organizational and logistical support for both virtual and in-person training programs, legal clinics, and community outreach events.


• Conduct legal research and draft initial papers or applications under the supervision of CBJC attorneys.


• Liaise with attorney volunteers from large law firms and corporate legal departments.


• As needed, provide general administrative support, including new programming within and across CBJC projects.

Qualifications, Skills And Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or substantially equivalent work experience in a professional setting.


• Minimum 6 months of work experience (relevant internships acceptable).


• Bilingual English/Spanish fluency required—written and spoken (additional languages beneficial).


• Strong data-entry, organizational and project management skills; high attention to detail; excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to communicate effectively with the public through multiple channels; self-starter with a record showing (or a demonstrable capacity for) consistent professional timeliness and reliability.


• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, and the ability to quickly learn and effectively use case management, CRM and court databases, and other technology.


• Ability to connect with people from different backgrounds, capacity to support our team in providing trauma-informed services, and demonstrated enthusiasm for public interest legal work, serving communities that are under-resourced, and advancing racial equity and social and economic justice.


• A team player with an ability to interact respectfully with clients, volunteer attorneys, government employees, and fellow staff members.

We are looking for candidates who are willing to make a minimum commitment of two years to the Project Coordinator role and can start as soon as possible. Candidates for this position must be available for in-person work in Manhattan on a hybrid schedule requiring 2-3 days of scheduled in-office work per week, with the balance of time being work-from-home. Occasional local travel for legal clinics or other program support may be required.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

This is a Local 153, Office and Professional Employees International Union position, with a starting annualized salary of at least $52,531 based on a 35-hour workweek (with higher salaries in the range of $53,581-$62,512 dependent on having 2-8+ years of directly relevant prior experience), and other benefits and employment terms and conditions in accordance with a collective bargaining agreement. We provide a competitive benefits package including generous paid time off (vacation, personal, sick time, holidays including office closure during the last week of the calendar year through New Year’s Day, day off for volunteer work, extra time off in summer), choice of medical plans, dental, vision, eligible for 401K when employment begins (with discretionary employer match up to 3% after 1 year), life insurance, commuter benefits program, Employee Assistance Program, short-term/long-term disability insurance, free New York City Bar Association membership and CLE programs, employee discounts, and more!

We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds and unique experiences to apply. We welcome diversity of all kinds. It is the policy of the City Bar to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, the organization will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.