Administrative Assistant, Immigration Practice

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is seeking an Administrative Assistant to join our Immigration Practice.

BDS is a public defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. For nearly 30 years, BDS has worked, in and out of court, to protect and uphold the rights of individuals and to change laws and systems that perpetuate injustice and inequality. Our legal expertise work with clients is focused on the intersections of these legal systems that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities living in poverty.

BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including for housing, public benefits, education, and employment. BDS staff work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver high-quality legal services that serve the people we represent, their families and communities.

BDS’ Immigration Practice is a team of over 50 staff who represent people in detained and non-detained removal proceedings as well as applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to help clients maintain family unity and obtain lawful immigration status in the United States.

Under the direct supervision of the Associate Director of Administration, the Administrative Assistant provides a wide range of administrative support to attorneys, accredited representatives and social workers in the Immigration Practice.

Responsibilities

• Open, update, and close cases, and maintain data quality, in Sales-Force based case management system.
• Generate individual and practice wide reports, such as pending caseloads, intake and referral trends, and disposition and outcome information.
• Ensure digital document storage locations are correctly synced with individual cases.
• Organize paper and digital files.
• Prepare closed files for off-site storage.
• Answer phone calls and other communications.
• Sort and scan mail, including time-sensitive documents from courts, clients, and immigration agencies.
• Send out mail.
• Compile, copy, scan, and mail or deliver legal submissions prepared by the attorney or paralegal.
• Request records from hospitals, courts, and other entities.
• Work with other administrative professionals to organize and maintain office space, stock office supplies, and organize the Immigration Practice’s resources and materials.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• At least two (2) years prior administrative or related experience, preferably in a legal setting or in an agency that worked with immigrant clients.
• High skill level with Microsoft programs including Outlook, Word, Excel and Adobe Acrobat.
• Experience with case management systems and cloud-based document storage, preferably Salesforce based systems.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attentive to detail and deadlines.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting and in an interdisciplinary unit that works together to forward the goals of the client and the case.
• Fluency or high proficiency in Spanish is preferred.

Position Information

This is a non-exempt, salaried position in the collective bargaining unit. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. The position is based at BDS’s offices, and the courts located in Downtown Brooklyn.

BDS determines salary on a pay scale based on education and experience. For this position there is a base salary range of $59,113 - $65,863 depending on the applicant’s education and experience. BDS offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance and a 403(b) retirement plan. In order to support work/life balance and family-friendly policies, BDS has generous vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.

Application Instructions

Click HERE to submit a cover letter and resume on our online application portal. Please submit your application by August 15, 2025.

Brooklyn Defender Services is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to celebrating diversity and maintaining an equitable and inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, expressions, orientations, disabilities, and experiences to apply. If you require an accommodation due to a disability or another reason, please contact the Managing Director, Human Resources, Christina Wallace, at cwallace@bds.org.