POSITION: The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is seeking paralegals for its Unaccompanied Children, Released Team in our Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing or Ypsilanti offices. The successful candidate will have an emphasis on working with unaccompanied immigrant children and youth, will collaborate with local community programs, support attorney staff representing unaccompanied children, and become a DOJ accredited representative to handle some case matters under the supervision of an attorney. This is a chance to join a talented grant-funded team doing important and challenging work at a critical time. This position will be based out of one of our offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, or Ypsilanti, with some possibilities for hybrid in-office/remote work schedules.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM: MIRC is a legal resource center for immigrant communities. The three pillars of our work are: 1) direct legal services; 2) systemic advocacy; and 3) community education and engagement. MIRC is part of Michigan Statewide Advocacy Services (MSAS), a non-profit law firm providing free legal services to low income and senior persons through several statewide programs. MSAS is administered by the Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP), which provides access to the justice system for those who need it the most through civil legal aid offices and statewide advocacy programs. MAP’s mission is to advance the safety, independence, and economic stability of those most affected by poverty, racism, and other structurally oppressive systems by increasing access to justice and working for systemic solutions. Visit michiganimmigrant.org and miadvocacy.org for more information.>
RESPONSIBILITIES: The paralegal will support an attorney representing unaccompanied refugee minors in Michigan in their immigration matters. The paralegal will assist with all aspects of the work such as the preparation of forms and declarations, correspondence with clients and service agencies, scheduling, and interpreting/translating. The position also requires seeking DOJ Accreditation and handling a small caseload under the supervision of an attorney. The paralegal will also work on grant and other reporting, communications, and case intake matters.
QUALIFICATIONS: An associate’s degree or commensurate professional experience is required; a bachelor’s degree is preferred. Applicants must possess excellent communication, collaboration, analytical and problem‐solving skills as well as a demonstrated commitment to protecting the rights of immigrants or other persons in poverty. Candidate must be detail-oriented with strong organizational skills. Candidate must be proficient with major software and web services including Word, Excel, G Suite, and have access to a reliable internet connection if they intend to work remotely some of the time. Applicants who have experience, especially related to immigration and poverty, will receive priority. Prior experience with immigration law preferred to seek DOJ accreditation. Spanish language proficiency required. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice. Applicants who have relevant lived experience are encouraged to apply.
BENEFITS: This is a full-time position with a salary range of $45,000 - $65,150 based on years of relevant experience. MAP offers a generous benefits package including life, short- and long-term disability, health, vision, dental and flexible spending accounts. If staff do not require health benefits, they have the option to take an annual $1,500 payout in addition to the base salary paid over the course of the year. MAP also has a generous leave policy allowing staff to accrue 3 weeks paid vacation the first year and 13 paid holidays, as well as a 401K retirement plan including employer match for eligible staff after 6 months of employment. MAP is a qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
TO APPLY: Please complete this application and submit your resume and cover letter. You can also access the application by copying and pasting the following web address into your browser: https://miadvocacy.bamboohr.com/careers/52. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.
The Michigan Advocacy Program is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Posted: 06/07/23
