Paralegal

The Rapid Legal Response Initiative (RLRI) and the Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative (DDDI) operate within the Center for Social Justice, a public interest law firm within Seton Hall Law School. They are projects of the Immigrants' Rights/International Human Rights Clinic. RLRI and DDDI are funded through New Jersey's Office of New Americans and provide emergency legal support to detained immigrants.

This grant-funded paralegal will work in close, day-to-day partnership with the RLRI director as well as with the DDDI (Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative) team, serving as operational support for the initiatives. The paralegal is responsible for maintaining the administrative and organizational infrastructure, from supporting volunteer attorney relationships and resources to completing intakes, to ensuring timely follow-through on time-sensitive requests. Knowledge of the legal system and an understanding of court procedures are essential to the job, as are consistency, organization, and reliability. These are high-volume programs serving detained individuals and supporting the attorneys who represent them.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Serving as the primary point of contact for volunteer attorneys, managing incoming requests, emails, and phone calls; connecting attorneys to the Director as needed; completing intakes with detained clients, troubleshooting issues with attorney-mentor/mentee pairings and connections.

Responding to requests for habeas and other legal assistance from attorneys; drafting motions and correspondence as needed; providing substantive legal support.

Organizing and maintaining templates and resources in the shared resource library; researching resources to add to the library; assisting with the coordination and support of legal trainings for volunteers.

Placing and fielding calls to courts and detention centers and volunteer attorneys; tracking outcomes and follow-up needs from these contacts.

Documenting all attorney and case-related interactions; maintaining accurate records; supporting general administrative functions; assisting with program compliance and reporting requirements.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent training. Prior experience as a paralegal or in a legal support role is required, with experience in immigration law strongly preferred. Candidates should have experience managing high volumes of correspondence and coordinating across multiple stakeholders, ideally within a legal services or nonprofit setting.

Desired Qualifications:

Familiarity with detention and removal proceedings, habeas practice, or working with pro bono/volunteer attorney networks is a plus.

Licenses and Certificates:

N/A

Salary Range:

$31.217 per hour

Exempt/Nonexempt: Nonexempt

Physical Demands: General Office Environment

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Benefits Information: 

Full Time Benefits

Life today is complex. That’s why Seton Hall University offers a comprehensive package of benefits and programs to help you simplify and enrich your life.

These benefits are important elements of your total university compensation package. Benefits include but are not limited to bundled medical, prescription, and vision insurance, dental insurance, and life insurance, and retirement plan. More information is available at https://www.shu.edu/human-resources/benefits.html. 

Seton Hall University is located in South Orange, New Jersey, 14 miles from New York City. It is the oldest Catholic diocesan institution of higher education in the United States and is home to about 6,300 undergraduate and 3,700 graduate students. A vibrant and culturally inclusive community, Seton Hall pursues academic excellence and ethical development in a collaborative environment and prepares its students to be servant leaders in their professional and community lives. Seton Hall University is an equal opportunity employer. It honors diverse perspectives and welcomes employees from all faith traditions. In turn, its employees respect Catholic beliefs and values, engage in servant leadership, and support the University’s mission as a Catholic institution of higher education.