Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, a non‑profit agency that provides legal assistance in civil matters to low-income persons in the Charlotte area and Western North Carolina, seeks a paralegal for its Immigrant Justice Program (IJP). IJP protects low-income, non-English-speaking residents and immigrants from exploitation, ensures accessibility of public services, stabilizes immigration status of clients and provides remedies in civil matters despite barriers to redress. IJP advocates assist individual low-income immigrants in state and federal courts and administrative agencies in a variety of areas, provide community legal education, participate in community events, give legal advice, assist agencies in serving the needs of immigrants and engage in systemic advocacy projects and activities.
The paralegal will:
- Interview persons seeking assistance and determine client eligibility;
- Assist attorneys in specific cases including client contact and interviews, case investigation, legal research and drafting documents;
- Provide legal advice, counseling or other brief service under attorney supervision;
- Conduct outreach including speaking to client groups about program wide issues; and
- Interpret and translate English/Spanish for interviews, documents,and phone calls.
Requires college degree, paralegal certification or equivalent experience; commitment to working with low-income people; proficiency in oral and written communication; strong analytic ability; self‑motivated and dependable. Fluency or sufficient knowledge of Spanish to conduct client interviews without interpreter is required. Salary $28,000+ depending on experience; generous leave and benefits.
