Bilingual Legal Assistant

Catholic Charities seeks to implement the Church's mission of social justice in the Diocese of Arlington in ways that strengthen individuals, families, and communities. In addition to a purpose-based work environment, Catholic Charities offers a generous benefit package including medical plans, generous holiday leave, paid Family Medical Leave*, flexible work options, career development, Diocesan tuition reimbursement*, retirement plans and much more.

Bilingual Legal Assistant
Ministry: Hogar Immigrant Services – Legal
Primary Office: Alexandria, VA
Hours per Week: 40 (non-exempt)
Staff Supervisor: Staff Attorney
Telework Available: ____ No __X__Hybrid (after 90 days)
Starting Hourly Range: $28.17 – 28.77

Position Description:
The Bilingual Legal Assistant will be responsible for assisting Hogar attorneys and/or DOJ accredited representatives in the preparation of cases for submission to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), and/or the National Visa Center (NVC).

Position Responsibilities:

• Assist attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives with preparing family-based and/or humanitarian immigration application forms
• Photocopy files and paperwork for attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives
• Process incoming case-related correspondence
• Contact clients to follow up on case matters and return phone calls to clients on behalf of attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives
• Assist with processing new client consultations scheduled through Hogar’s online scheduling and payment system – entering client information into Hogar’s online case management software, sending contracts and other forms for client signatures, creating client intake folders when necessary, and following up with clients before appointments as needed
• Manage maintenance of Hogar’s client files and maintain record-keeping per agency policies
• Close client files per file closing procedures and draft client closing letters, as needed
• Make daily trips to the post office and process, stamp, scan, and distribute incoming mail
• Serve as interpreter for client interviews at USCIS, as needed

Other Duties:

• In alignment with agency standards, assist with coordinating and managing volunteer translators, and complete document translations, as needed
• In alignment with Office of Volunteers policies, oversee the daily work of administrative volunteers as necessary
• Assist Administrative Assistant and Business Manager with answering and returning phone calls, filing, and taking client payments, as needed
• Provide referrals to clients for non-legal services as needed
• Attend day-long weekend group processing workshops approximately 2-3 times per year
• Cover front desk as needed, including answering phone calls, returning voicemails, and attending to walk-in clients
• Other job-related duties as assigned

Qualifications & Skills:

• Fluency in Spanish (speaking and writing) required
• Competence in communicating and interacting with others of diverse cultural, geographic, and economic backgrounds in a professional and compassionate manner, including interacting with individuals experiencing substantial levels of emotional, physical, financial, or other hardship
• Effective interpersonal and bilingual communication skills
• Training and/or prior experience with formal interpretation (consecutive and/or simultaneous) preferred
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively to manage a substantial workload with deadline pressures
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and multi-task
• Fluency in Microsoft Office 2007 and other relevant software.
• Ability to handle and maintain confidential information
• Access to reliable transportation to and from government agencies and workshop or other community events
• Willingness to uphold the mission and the goals of Catholic Charities

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience
• Two or more years’ experience working in a law firm or nonprofit organization preferred
• Training and/or prior experience with formal interpretation (consecutive and/or simultaneous) preferred

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

BENEFITS: Vacation, Sick, STD, LTD, Paid FML*, 16 paid holidays in 2025, Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, retirement plan, After 1 year: Pension, Diocesan School Tuition Reimbursement K-12, Education Assistance, Closed between Christmas and New Years.*

Thank you for your interest in joining Catholic Charities, Diocese of Arlington in the crucial work we do. Catholic Charities appreciates the time and effort it takes to submit an application.

Salary : $28 - $29