Bilingual Paralegal - Cornerstone Legal Services

Status: Full-time, non-exempt

Pay Range: $52k per year (depends on experience)

Location: Sandy, Utah (remote Salt Lake City options possible)

Language: Professional fluency in English and Spanish required.

Organization Summary

Cornerstone Legal Services (CLS) is a purpose driven, nonprofit serving our vulnerable Utah neighbors who are too often priced out of the legal system. Through a sliding fee scale, CLS provides free and low-cost legal services in family law, immigration, and related civil matters, seeking to reflect the love and mercy of Jesus by making competent, dignified legal help accessible to those who need it most.

As a nonprofit law firm, we honor the dignity of both those we serve and those who we serve alongside. We are committed to realistic client-billable hour expectations, access to comprehensive benefits options, and a healthy work-life balance for our attorneys and paralegals-fostering a sustainable practice where meaningful access to justice and the well-being of our team strengthen one another.

Position Summary

The Bilingual Paralegal supports the CLS’s immigration and family law practice and is often the first and most frequent point of contact for Spanish-speaking clients. Working under the direction and supervision of an assigned CLS attorney, the Paralegal conducts intakes, gathers and organizes evidence, prepares forms and draft pleadings, translates and interprets, and keeps cases moving on schedule—allowing attorneys to focus on legal judgment and advocacy while clients receive clear, compassionate communication in their own language. This position requires professional fluency in both English and Spanish.

Essential Duties

• Serve as a primary point of contact for Spanish-speaking clients, answering calls and messages promptly and keeping clients informed of case status, deadlines, and next steps as directed by the supervising attorney.
• Conduct initial phone screenings and intake meetings in English and Spanish, gather client information and household income for the CLS’s sliding fee scale, run conflict checks, and prepare intake summaries for attorney review.
• Serve clients of every faith and background with dignity and compassion.
• Manage a client portfolio with the expectation of generating no fewer than 30 billable hours per week on average, with time recorded accurately and contemporaneously, subject to client needs and case volume.
• Open, organize, and maintain complete and current electronic case files and case management records, and close files at the conclusion of representation.
• Calendar and track filing deadlines, hearing dates, receipt notices, and expiration dates, and alert attorneys to upcoming obligations.
• Prepare engagement letters, correspondence, and client-facing documents in English and Spanish from CLS templates for attorney review.
• Maintain confidentiality and observe the boundaries of paralegal practice, referring all requests for legal advice to the supervising attorney.
• Comply with all ethical obligations, court rules, grant requirements, reporting standards, and internal policies.
• Assist with training and coordination of interns and volunteers, including Spanish-language support.
• Compile case data and outcomes that support grant reporting and demonstrate the Clinic’s impact.
• Participate in staff meetings and other duties as assigned.
  
  

Immigration Support

• Prepare USCIS forms and supporting packets for family-based petitions, adjustment of status, naturalization, employment authorization, and humanitarian relief such as asylum, VAWA, U and T nonimmigrant status, labor certifications, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, for attorney review and signature.
• Explain to clients which civil documents and evidence are required, secure, and review those documents for completeness, and assemble filings in accordance with agency requirements.
• Draft client declarations from interviews conducted in Spanish, and prepare certified English translations of birth certificates, police reports, and other foreign-language documents.
• Assist with EOIR filings, evidence packets, and hearing preparation for clients in removal proceedings, and submit case status inquiries to USCIS and other agencies as directed.
  
  

Family Law Support

• Prepare draft petitions, financial declarations, child support worksheets, parenting plans, and other Utah district court forms for attorney review, and file and serve documents through the court’s electronic filing system.
• Assist survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking with gathering information and documents for protective order and related proceedings, approaching each client with patience and trauma-informed care.
• Organize discovery, exhibits, and hearing binders, and assist attorneys in preparing clients for mediation, hearings, and trial.
• Interpret for Spanish-speaking clients during attorney meetings and case preparation, and flag family law matters that may carry immigration consequences for attorney attention.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Paralegal certificate or Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience in a law office or legal aid setting.
• Professional fluency in English and Spanish, spoken and written, with the ability to interpret client meetings and translate legal documents accurately.
• Experience with immigration forms and filings, Utah family law procedure, or both.
• Licensed Paralegal Practitioner (LPP) credential in Utah, or interest in pursuing it, is a plus.
• Experience serving clients who are in crisis or who are recent trauma survivors, with the flexibility, patience, and humor to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and deadline management across a high volume of matters.
• Proficiency with, or able to learn, Microsoft 365 and legal case management software; CLS uses Clio.