Overview

About NYLAG

Founded in 1990, the New York Legal Assistance Group provides free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers. The organization serves immigrants, seniors, the homebound, families facing foreclosure, renters facing eviction, low-income consumers, those in need of government assistance, children in need of special education, domestic violence victims, persons with disabilities, patients with chronic illness or disease, low-wage workers, low-income members of the LGBTQ community, Holocaust survivors, and others in need. The organization’s annual operating budget is over $27 million. Serving more than 75,000 New Yorkers annually, New York Legal Assistance Group maintains a paid staff of approximately 280, supported by 2,200 pro bono attorneys and other volunteers and interns. For more information, applicants are encouraged to visit www.nylag.org.

Mission

The New York Legal Assistance Group uses the power of the law to help New Yorkers in need combat social and economic injustice. We address emerging and urgent legal needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community education.

 

Values that guide us

  • We reduce the effects of poverty by providing high quality, effective civil legal services. 
  • We partner with our clients to help them transform their lives and strengthen their communities.
  • We address our clients’ multiple legal needs by collaborating across our practice areas.
  • We are at the forefront of identifying and understanding New Yorkers’ most pressing legal needs, rapidly adapting to meet these needs with innovative programs and partnerships.
  • We assess need broadly, recognizing that need is not a function of income alone.
  • We collaborate with community organizations and engage pro bono attorneys and volunteers to serve a greater number of people with unmet civil legal needs.
  • We achieve systemic change through class actions, impact litigation and by advocating for just laws and policies.
  • We work to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment that reflects the communities we serve.
  • We teach and train the next generation of legal service professionals.

Job description:

NYLAG seeks a highly motivated full‐time, Immigration Paralegal Navigator to join its staff as part of a coordinated citywide initiative, NY Citizenship. This is a temporary assignment which will begin work in November 2022 for an approximate six-months term.  The program reaches immigrant communities across New York City to connect individuals to free immigration legal consultations, document preparation, and naturalization application assistance. The Paralegal Navigator will provide Citizenship services in a team-based model with a NYCitizenship Staff Attorney, under the supervision of a NYLAG Immigrant Protection Unit Supervising Attorney and with full access to NYLAG’s resources. The Paralegal Navigator will handle a caseload of Citizenship applications, including disability waivers and will assist in referring eligible applicants to NYLAG’s pro bono clinic program.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Assist clients to obtain the documents necessary to apply for relief, fill out appropriate forms, and follow up with clients via phone, mail and email;
  • Provide support to the project Staff Attorney and paralegal (accredited representative)  and make referrals to other legal service providers for complex cases that are beyond the scope of the NYCitizenship program;
  • Provide referrals for financial empowerment and other wraparound services;
  • Create and maintain physical and electronic files, including managing correspondence with clients and documenting correspondence with immigration and other agencies;
  • Manage data entry in internal and external data management systems and assist with generating reports;
  • Maintaining regular contact with NYCitizenship program and relevant site staff; and
  • Other duties and tasks as assigned.  

 

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree required
  • Fluency in a second language is desired. Spanish preferred.
  • 1-2 years of immigration experience preferred, but not required
  • Experience working with diverse populations
  • Ability to work with individuals with disabilities and seniors in providing naturalization assistance
  • Ability to liaise with medical staff
  • Excellent written, oral and analytical skills
  • Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently in an off-site context.

 

NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

 

Employment type:

☐ Full-time

☐ Part-time

☒ Temporary

 

Professional Level:

☒ Entry Level

☐ Professional

☐ Managerial

 

Salary Range:

NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $48,000 – $55,850.

            

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.

 

Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.

 

Covid Vaccination Policy: Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.

 

NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.

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