Administrative Assistant, Immigration Legal Services

The Administrative Assistant serves as the central point of contact for clients with the IRC Immigration Legal Services team, providing administrative support and coordinating client appointments in a fast-paced environment. The role involves client communication, data management, and outreach to the community regarding immigration services.

Responsibilities

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of IRC Oakland’s case acceptance policies, including enrollment eligibility criteria across immigration legal services programs.
• Conduct preliminary screenings for walk-in clients seeking immigration legal services to determine potential program eligibility and triage scheduling or inclusion on a waitlist.
• Schedule appointments for immigration clients with legal assistants, legal representatives, and/or attorneys; follow up with clients through reminder text messages and/or phone calls.
• Maintain a detailed, accurate and comprehensive database of walk-in clients and returning clients, including basic biographic information, current contact information, and other data as needed.
• Answer phone calls, emails and text messages from clients and resolve common client concerns; follow protocols to relay questions requiring legal analysis or detailed case information to team members; log all client communications in case management software.
• Track inquiries for services, gathering data to inform program operations and services as identified by the Managing Attorney.
• Open and log all mail (USCIS/NVC correspondence) for immigration programs into the case management software.
• Create and maintain virtual and/or physical case files according to standardized model.
• Scan and upload clear and complete copies of case-related documents to Box; print and prepare copies of materials to be submitted to USCIS as part of legal filings.
• Conduct monthly administrative file review in coordination with supervisor.
• Understand and strictly abide by rules of confidentiality and protocols regarding unauthorized practice of law.
• Other tasks and projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Bilingual English and a major client language highly preferred. Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of and / or interest to learn about immigration legal services.
• Experience working and communicating effectively in a multi-cultural environment is required; experience with individuals who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) highly desired.
• Self-starter with strong problem-solving skills combined with a solid ability to prioritize duties, coordinate time effectively, and excel in a client-facing, fast-paced position.
• Interest and ability to contribute both independently and as a key team member.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (i.e. Word, Excel, and Outlook) and web-based applications (i.e. Google forms, Box, ETO, databases).

Skills

• Bilingual Communication
• Immigration Legal Services
• Organizational Skills
• Client Communication
• Multicultural Environment Experience
• Limited English Proficiency Support
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• Microsoft Outlook
• Google Forms
• Box
• ETO Database
• Data Management
• Client Appointment Coordination

Languages

English