Careers

Paralegal

CAIR-Philadelphia is recruiting a part-time Paralegal to provide administrative and substantive support to our civil rights and immigration teams. The Paralegal will be an integral part of our growing civil rights and immigration team. The Paralegal will be responsible for a wide range of programmatic and administrative tasks to support and advance our litigation, advocacy, and public education efforts.

Title: Paralegal

Reports to: Executive Director

Schedule Type: Part-time, 20 hrs/week

Location: CAIR staff are currently working a hybrid schedule; priority will be given to candidates who are in the greater Philadelphia region. Requires some travel throughout the greater Philadelphia area.

Practice Areas: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties (Religious Freedom), Employment, Immigration, National Security & Law Enforcement Practices, Public Accommodations, Prisoners’ Rights, School Issues, Hate Crimes/Incidents

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Providing legal administrative support to attorneys including case data analysis and input, legal filings, document filings, mailing, scanning, copying, and other related tasks
  • Conducting legal intakes, interviews, follow-ups, and responses; summarizing intake substance, and presenting recommendations for future action or referral
  • Preparing retainers, FOIAs, DHS TRIP, and immigration applications (in collaboration with our partners) for clients, under attorney supervision
  • Assisting on assigned litigation efforts, including preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs before federal, state, and immigration courts
  • Performing legal research using computerized database, online resources, and legal materials and drafting memoranda regarding the legal research
  • Communicating with clients and their families regarding upcoming hearings, biometric appointments, and office meetings
  • Maintaining the organization of the case management system of the legal services department
  • Maintaining calendar system for deadlines and timely filing of extensions, pleadings, petitions, and applications
  • Perform administrative duties within the legal services department including answering phones, setting up appointments, collecting fees, scanning and routing incoming mail, mailing case filings, and mailing larger mailing projects

Other duties as assigned, dependent on organizational needs and employee skills. All CAIR staff are required to assist in general duties such as answering phones, weekly outreach, and other office tasks.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Required

  • At least one to two years of experience working with clients, customers, etc.
  • Strong time management skills with a demonstrated ability for meeting deadlines
  • Demonstrated problem-solving skills with outstanding attention to detail
  • Comfort working productively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills including public speaking experience
  • Experience working with people from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds
  • High degree of self-motivation and creativity
  • A strong commitment to civil rights and CAIR’s mission
  • Basic computer proficiency including knowledge of MS Office, MS Outlook, Adobe Acrobat
  • Knowledge of cloud applications such as SharePoint and Office365

Preferred

  • At least one to three years of experience in a law firm, legal nonprofit or equivalent work environment
  • Familiarity with Muslim American communities of greater Philadelphia region
  • Access to a working vehicle and the ability to drive throughout the greater Philadelphia region
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher
  • Paralegal training or certification
  • Experience working with non-profit organizations
  • Experience in the area of civil rights/employment
  • Experience in the area of immigration
  • Familiarity with LexisNexis or WestLaw

COMPENSATION

  • 20 hours per week; $20/ hour

TO APPLY:

Please send (1) a cover letter discussing your interest in the position, (2) your resume, (3) a brief example of your writing, and (4) the names and contact information of three references to careers@cairphilly.org with the subject line: “Paralegal Application”.

  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Incomplete applications will not be considered or reviewed.
  • CAIR-PA is an equal opportunity employer.
  • Questions about the position can be emailed to careers@cairphilly.org