Legal Services Coordinator
Full-Time
Our Legal Empowerment Clinic, the first of Proyecto Faro’s programs, educates people one-on-one and demystifies the law. We’ve built a network of pro bono and “low-bono” lawyers and volunteers to provide free legal services to Rockland’s immigrants. In addition to assisting with and answering questions on issues like asylum cases, SIJS, naturalization, DACA, removal proceedings, and battered spouse waivers, we also help people report unethical lawyers and seek remuneration where applicable. Many clinic guests have been connected to pro bono and low bono attorneys who have represented them in their removal cases. We have held know your rights (KYR) sessions, which discuss workplace violations including wage theft, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, fraud by lawyers, and people posing as lawyers and notaries.
Inspired by the model of Keep Tuscon Together, our clinic has a strong focus on empowerment through sharing knowledge. We aim for the clinics to not simply be a space where lawyers provide services to “clients.” We aim to train immigrants to coordinate and run the clinics, in close consultation with allied lawyers. We encourage those community members helped by the clinic to return as volunteers to use what they’ve learned to benefit others in a similar situation. We want to cultivate an environment in which immigrants develop confidence, empower themselves, and attain leadership skills to work with their peers to address other needs, navigate other systems, and work for change.
We recently were awarded a re-grant from the NY Immigration Coalition to expand our legal services program, enabling us to create this Legal Services Coordinator position. In addition to this position, our current part-time Legal Services & Outreach Associate, a cadre of 10 dedicated volunteers and 5 lawyers who rotate to conduct the clinics together, we will also be hiring an attorney and a paralegal. In addition to being able to hold legal services office hours, we plan to add a second clinic each month, provide more volunteer training, and hold more frequent KYR sessions.
The Legal Services Coordinator (LSC) will work with staff and volunteers to plan clinics, create, organize, and help facilitate trainings for volunteers, track services for reporting purposes, and ensure follow-up is being done with community members. LSC reports to the Director of Legal Services and the Executive Director. Responsibilities include:
Legal Empowerment Clinic
- Facilitate communication and serve as a bridge between paralegal, lawyer, volunteers, and community members. Develop relationships and maintain communication with existing volunteers and lawyers and co-coordinate recruiting and confirming the needed number for each clinic.
- Overall co-coordination and staff leadership in planning and running our Legal Empowerment Clinic.
- Manage processes by which guest intakes are done and clinic appointments are made.
- Organize and help facilitate training sessions for volunteers (ex. volunteer orientations, training on specific types of relief, FOIA trainings, etc.).
- Co-create a team of Volunteer Clinic Coordinators/Clinic Crew.
- Produce and distribute publicity materials.
- Seek outreach opportunities to publicize the clinic to potential attendees.
- Recruit new volunteers to the clinic, especially, but not limited to, law students and others in the legal community who are bi/multilingual (Spanish, Haitian Kreyol, English, etc.).
- Participate as a member of the legal clinic team and help identify how we can make the clinic more welcoming to clients and new volunteers.
- Make regular posts on social media to promote the clinic.
- Respond in a timely way to clinic inquiries received through email, phone, text apps, and social media accounts.
- Work with legal services staff and volunteers to collect and document data for services provided.
- Create, lead, and organize internship program.
Community Education on Immigration Laws, Policies, & Rights
- Represent PF at coalition meetings and share updates and actions alerts with community.
- Keep the community up to date about laws, policies, and know-your-rights information by sharing and creating social media posts and live and recorded videos.
- Subscribe to email lists of and follow on social media major immigrant law-related organizations and re-share their content.
- Conduct periodic Tu Voz Cuenta and Your Voice Counts facebook live sessions at which you present or bring in guests to present information about specific immigration law issues (DACA, work permits, asylum etc.).
- Put together a clinic flier and basic informational flyers on key legal issues (e.g. know-your-rights) to periodically distribute at events or in food boxes, and other promotional materials.
- Emphasize in posts, events, and materials the connection between knowledge about rights, the law and empowerment/community strength.
- Build a network of organizations and individuals to support services, trainings, campaigns, and educational opportunities.
General Staff Responsibilities:
- When interacting with community members, share information about our programs and encourage community members to get involved with the clinic and our other programs.
- Document, organize, and report on work activities on a regular basis
- Work collaboratively with other staff members to plan, execute, and asses program activities, and create necessary educational and promotional materials
- Bridge direct service activities with mutual aid, community organizing, and base-building for collective power
- Support fundraising efforts
- Share responsibility, with the entire staff, for the general maintenance of PF’s Stony Point and Spring Valley office spaces.
- Other duties as identified by the Director of Legal Services and Executive Director.
Qualifications and Skills Required:
- Associates Degree (2 year) in a field related to legal studies, immigration, or social justice
- At least 2 years experience in nonprofit work in a position that involves immigration, social justice, or legal support
- Working knowledge of Microsoft and Google Office Suites, as well as general high proficiency with computers and capacity to learn new systems as needed;
- Proficiency with social media, Canva, Whatsapp, Zoom
- Demonstrated knowledge of managing volunteers and/or staff; legal information; spreadsheets or databases
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work independently and be a proactive and personable team player;
- Experience in community organizing a plus;
- Fluent in both English and Spanish, Haitian Kreyol a plus;
- Ability to lift 50 lbs;
- Strong work ethic; and
- Sensitivity to challenges faced by marginalized and undocumented immigrants and a desire to help strengthen PF’s immigrant rights efforts.
Hours: We are interested in applicants who are available for full-time 40 hr work week. Because we occasionally have weekend or evening activities or meetings, you can take flex time.
Compensation: $50,000 annually
Benefits: Health insurance plan with 80% employer contribution. Dental and vision plans (no employer contribution.) Paid time off: in addition to federal holidays, 3 additional observed religious holidays, and May Day, we also offer 3 weeks of paid vacation, 2 personal days, and 8 sick days.
Supervision & Evaluation: This position reports directly to the Director of Legal Services and Executive Director. In addition, the Personnel Team of the Board, in consultation with these directors, will initiate evaluations at 3 months and 6 months in which feedback can be exchanged in both directions.
Location and Requirements: This position will require the employee to work from the Proyecto Faro Offices at 17 Cricketown Rd, Stony Point, NY 10980 and at 9 North Main Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977, and includes potential remote days
How to apply: We need to fill this position very quickly. Along with your resumé, please submit a cover letter sharing your interest in and specific preparedness for this position. Email these materials to info@proyectofarorockland.org by December 28.
Proyecto Faro is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.