Legal Assistant

OUR ORGANIZATION

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) is Minnesota’s premier provider of comprehensive immigration legal services to low-income clients of all nationalities. ILCM is a 37-person office with five locations in the State of Minnesota (including two Saint Paul offices and offices in Moorhead, Worthington, Austin), and one location in North Dakota. ILCM has been in operation for over 27 years, and is funded through individual, law firm, corporate, United Way, foundation, and local, state, and federal government support. ILCM’s annual budget is currently $3.7 million. 

OUR MISSION

The mission of ILCM is to enhance opportunities for immigrants and refugees through legal representation for low-income individuals, and through education and advocacy with diverse communities.

OUR GOALS

ILCM’s goals are to:

• Remedy legal problems by providing quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees of all nationalities

• Prevent legal problems by providing law-related education to immigrants and refugees of all nationalities

• Raise public awareness of immigration issues to encourage sound public policy that protects the universal human rights of immigrants and is both compassionate and practical

OUR VALUES

ILCM’s values are grounded in respect for and partnership with our immigrant and refugee clients. Our values include:

• We bring our full legal passion, dedicated attention and highest quality service to our low-income immigrant and refugee clients and their families.

• We value relationships with the communities we serve and seek to express their full potential and contributions through our work together.

• We work with excellence and integrity.

• We believe in taking action to make immigration systems work for all. 

THE ROLE

Job Title: Legal Assistant

Location: This position will be based in ILCM’s Worthington, MN office with the possibility of remote work one day per week. Candidates should already be based in Worthington (highly preferred) or with availability to relocate to Worthington with relative ease.

Type: This role is a non-exempt, full-time (37.5 hrs. per week) position reporting to the Greater MN Supervising Attorney. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

The Legal Assistant will be responsible for providing immigration legal assistance to low-income immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence, stalking, and refugees, asylees, and lawful permanent residents wishing to naturalize.

The Legal Assistant performs a variety of administrative duties, including drafting legal correspondence, preparing and sending immigration forms, answering phones, screening new clients, communicating with attorneys, clients, advocates, and partner agencies. ILCM envisions that the individual in this role would ultimately become a Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited representative who will be able to represent clients in USCIS affirmative cases and interviews.

The specific duties of the position include the following:

• Assist and support attorneys and Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited representatives with providing full legal representation—or brief service and advice, and referrals for low-income immigrants and refugees.

• Maintain client records and check mail in compliance with organization protocols, governmental contracts, grant requirements, and best practices.

• Assist and support in outreach efforts to immigrant survivors of domestic violence, professionals working with immigrant survivors, and general communities regarding our immigration issues.

• Quarterly outreach to students at citizenship classes, screening and filing naturalization cases. Document case work and outreach efforts in compliance with grant requirements.

• Participate in legal meetings, case review, and monthly staff meetings.

• Assist in proposal and grant report preparation as needed.

• Provide back-up in different areas as needed such as reception, intake, or detention line.

• Provide translation of documents and interpreting of phone calls as needed.

• Manage miscellaneous projects and complete various tasks as needed by management. 

QUALIFICATIONS | KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in any relevant field.

• Paralegal experience or experience working in an attorney’s office with some college credits required.

• Fluency in Spanish or another language common among our clients like Tigryna, Karenni, Lao is required.

• Experience in working with diverse populations.

• Experience in advocating on behalf of immigrants and immigrant survivors.

• Proficient in all Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.

• Experience with case management and immigration forms programs & systems preferred. For reference, at ILCM, we use Legal Server.

• Detail-oriented, service-oriented, organized and able to meet deadlines.

• Dedicated, reliable, organized and able to handle a high volume of assignments.

• Exhibits positive attitude and flexibility and works effectively within a team.

• Experience with office equipment, including copiers, and telephone systems.

• Excellent interpersonal communication and superior customer service skills.

• Understands confidential nature of organization information and maintains confidences. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

ILCM is proud to offer a competitive compensation package which includes an hourly rate between $18.50 and $22.00 (DOE). In addition to the rate described above, ILCM offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Paid-time-off (PTO) that increases based on tenure but starts off with 20 days per year.

• Holiday leave, including 11 holidays & the week between Christmas Eve & New Years Day.

• Health benefits including:

• Medical insurance through Medica: ILCM currently pays 90% of the employee & dependent portion of premiums and 80% for spouses/domestic partners.
• Dental insurance through Delta Dental: ILCM currently pays 65% of the employee and dependent premiums.
• Vision insurance through Avesis: 100% employee paid.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): ILCM currently contributes $500 per year regardless of whether the employee is enrolled in ILCM’s health plan.

• Life, Short/Long-term Disability Insurance through Reliance with the option to buy up voluntary life insurance.

• SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan w/employer match of up to 3% of the employee’s compensation.

• A remote connectivity stipend of $50/month.

Please note that all benefits programs are governed by plan documents. In the event of any conflicts, the plan documents will govern. 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please send a letter of interest or cover letter and resume to: hr@ilcm.org. Open until filled. Qualified candidates will be contacted on a rolling basis for an initial screening call with the Hiring Manager and will be offered more information on the rest of the process then.

Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide Research shows that members of under represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

To learn more about ILCM, please visit our website:

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.