National Immigration Law Center
Senior Paralegal (Litigation)
National Immigration Law Center, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
About the Organization
NILC is a leading nonprofit (501(c)(3)) dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families. NILC’s mission is to ensure equal access to justice, resources, and educational and economic opportunities for everyone in the U.S., regardless of race, gender identity, immigration status, or economic status. NILC and the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF) work to advocate for immigrant justice including federal immigration policy reform, through racial, economic, and gender justice and equity orientation. NILC is at an exciting moment in its organizational trajectory, supporting a five-year strategic framework and scaling work through policy influence, movement building, narrative and culture strategies, and operational improvements. We seek entrepreneurial, results-driven, relationship builders committed to NILC’s mission and values of racial justice and equity, diversity, partnerships, respect, transparency, integrity, and honesty. About The Position
The Senior Paralegal provides administrative and litigation support for the Legal team. Under the direction of the Paralegal Manager and attorneys, the Senior Paralegal works on all aspects of litigation, including intake, preparing initial drafts of lawsuits and exhibits, discovery, trial materials, settlements, and filing in federal and state courts, administrative complaints, and immigration documents. The Senior Paralegal collaborates with the Paralegal Manager and Legal Management Team to improve efficiency and productivity, including managing software systems and the case docket. The ideal candidate exhibits a strong commitment to NILC’s mission, with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and a strong strategic mindset and communication skills. This role is a member of the Bargaining Unit. Specific Position Responsibilities
Act as the lead paralegal in high-impact and complex legal cases, advocacy, and related campaigns. Manage the lifecycle of assigned cases, workflow, and document production best practices. Participate in multi-strategy litigation, media, and advocacy campaigns with internal teams and external partners. Draft for review by attorneys and finalize complaints, summons, briefs, motions, orders, exhibits, and related documents; coordinate document production under Federal, Appellate, and U.S. Supreme Court rules. Perform work for court filings under the direction of an attorney and ensure timely service. Draft memoranda and correspondence; maintain digital case files and case management systems (e.g., Clio, Everlaw, MS Teams). Maintain litigation docket and calendars for court deadlines; collaborate on weekly calendar updates and compliance charts. Conduct factual research, client intake, witness interviews, and draft client declarations. Conduct legal research using tools such as Westlaw; prepare exhibits and trial materials; assist with hearings and depositions. Assist with discovery, including drafting and finalizing responses; coordinate document production. Collaborate with attorneys on settlement materials and fee petitions; prepare Lodestar billing records and cost reports. Outreach to potential plaintiffs; maintain relationships with colleagues, clients, court staff, and partners. Communicate with clients about case progress and developments; coordinate amicus brief work and filings when applicable. Attend court hearings, status conferences, oral arguments, and client meetings as required. Draft and execute FOIA requests with attorneys; manage calendars and document review and indexing. Engage in professional development to stay current with applicable law and related areas. Coordinate with paralegal team to manage calls, messages, and administrative tasks; provide technical support for litigation software and IT systems as needed. Lead setup and use of practice management software (Clio, Everlaw) and provide training as needed; monitor software changes and recommend improvements. Collaborate with project managers to improve litigation input processes and case file management; coordinate with outside vendors as needed. Contribute to cross-departmental teams on integrated legal, media, and advocacy campaigns. Supervisory Responsibilities
May manage outside vendors, third-party administrators, and consultants as needed. Qualifications Required
Bachelor’s degree and paralegal certification required 7+ years of experience as a senior paralegal and/or trial preparation at federal district and appellate court levels Expert knowledge of PACER, NextGen e-filing, FRAP, FRCP, and Supreme Court local rules Experience with practice management and discovery software such as Clio and Everlaw Experience in social justice, civil rights, immigrants’ rights, or progressive social change preferred Ability to adapt to changing priorities and circumstances Proficiency with Outlook, MS Office, legal research tools, and virtual collaboration tools Preferred Qualifications
10+ years of paralegal and litigation experience at federal district and appellate court levels Experience in social justice or immigrants’ rights; Master’s degree is a plus Proficiency in non-English languages spoken by diverse communities; fluency in more than one language desirable Work Environment Location & Travel:
NILC offices are in Washington, DC. Up to 25% overnight travel may be required; travel is typically quarterly for 3-5 nights. Remote work locations include multiple states; applicants must live in a listed work location. Compensation & Benefits Salary range for this role is $75,293 – $94,142. NILC offers comprehensive benefits including employer-paid health coverage (employee 100%, dependents 75%), dental and vision, a 403(b) with employer contributions, paid parental leave, stipends, pre-tax accounts, disability and life insurance, generous PTO (15 holidays and 22 days annual, increasing to 32 after 2 years). Public Service Loan Forgiveness
NILC is a qualifying public service employer. For more details, visit studentaid.gov/pslf/. Physical Demands
Remaining in a stationary position for prolonged periods Communicating with others to exchange information Repetitive motions such as typing or using a phone EEO Statement
NILC is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
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NILC is a leading nonprofit (501(c)(3)) dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families. NILC’s mission is to ensure equal access to justice, resources, and educational and economic opportunities for everyone in the U.S., regardless of race, gender identity, immigration status, or economic status. NILC and the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF) work to advocate for immigrant justice including federal immigration policy reform, through racial, economic, and gender justice and equity orientation. NILC is at an exciting moment in its organizational trajectory, supporting a five-year strategic framework and scaling work through policy influence, movement building, narrative and culture strategies, and operational improvements. We seek entrepreneurial, results-driven, relationship builders committed to NILC’s mission and values of racial justice and equity, diversity, partnerships, respect, transparency, integrity, and honesty. About The Position
The Senior Paralegal provides administrative and litigation support for the Legal team. Under the direction of the Paralegal Manager and attorneys, the Senior Paralegal works on all aspects of litigation, including intake, preparing initial drafts of lawsuits and exhibits, discovery, trial materials, settlements, and filing in federal and state courts, administrative complaints, and immigration documents. The Senior Paralegal collaborates with the Paralegal Manager and Legal Management Team to improve efficiency and productivity, including managing software systems and the case docket. The ideal candidate exhibits a strong commitment to NILC’s mission, with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and a strong strategic mindset and communication skills. This role is a member of the Bargaining Unit. Specific Position Responsibilities
Act as the lead paralegal in high-impact and complex legal cases, advocacy, and related campaigns. Manage the lifecycle of assigned cases, workflow, and document production best practices. Participate in multi-strategy litigation, media, and advocacy campaigns with internal teams and external partners. Draft for review by attorneys and finalize complaints, summons, briefs, motions, orders, exhibits, and related documents; coordinate document production under Federal, Appellate, and U.S. Supreme Court rules. Perform work for court filings under the direction of an attorney and ensure timely service. Draft memoranda and correspondence; maintain digital case files and case management systems (e.g., Clio, Everlaw, MS Teams). Maintain litigation docket and calendars for court deadlines; collaborate on weekly calendar updates and compliance charts. Conduct factual research, client intake, witness interviews, and draft client declarations. Conduct legal research using tools such as Westlaw; prepare exhibits and trial materials; assist with hearings and depositions. Assist with discovery, including drafting and finalizing responses; coordinate document production. Collaborate with attorneys on settlement materials and fee petitions; prepare Lodestar billing records and cost reports. Outreach to potential plaintiffs; maintain relationships with colleagues, clients, court staff, and partners. Communicate with clients about case progress and developments; coordinate amicus brief work and filings when applicable. Attend court hearings, status conferences, oral arguments, and client meetings as required. Draft and execute FOIA requests with attorneys; manage calendars and document review and indexing. Engage in professional development to stay current with applicable law and related areas. Coordinate with paralegal team to manage calls, messages, and administrative tasks; provide technical support for litigation software and IT systems as needed. Lead setup and use of practice management software (Clio, Everlaw) and provide training as needed; monitor software changes and recommend improvements. Collaborate with project managers to improve litigation input processes and case file management; coordinate with outside vendors as needed. Contribute to cross-departmental teams on integrated legal, media, and advocacy campaigns. Supervisory Responsibilities
May manage outside vendors, third-party administrators, and consultants as needed. Qualifications Required
Bachelor’s degree and paralegal certification required 7+ years of experience as a senior paralegal and/or trial preparation at federal district and appellate court levels Expert knowledge of PACER, NextGen e-filing, FRAP, FRCP, and Supreme Court local rules Experience with practice management and discovery software such as Clio and Everlaw Experience in social justice, civil rights, immigrants’ rights, or progressive social change preferred Ability to adapt to changing priorities and circumstances Proficiency with Outlook, MS Office, legal research tools, and virtual collaboration tools Preferred Qualifications
10+ years of paralegal and litigation experience at federal district and appellate court levels Experience in social justice or immigrants’ rights; Master’s degree is a plus Proficiency in non-English languages spoken by diverse communities; fluency in more than one language desirable Work Environment Location & Travel:
NILC offices are in Washington, DC. Up to 25% overnight travel may be required; travel is typically quarterly for 3-5 nights. Remote work locations include multiple states; applicants must live in a listed work location. Compensation & Benefits Salary range for this role is $75,293 – $94,142. NILC offers comprehensive benefits including employer-paid health coverage (employee 100%, dependents 75%), dental and vision, a 403(b) with employer contributions, paid parental leave, stipends, pre-tax accounts, disability and life insurance, generous PTO (15 holidays and 22 days annual, increasing to 32 after 2 years). Public Service Loan Forgiveness
NILC is a qualifying public service employer. For more details, visit studentaid.gov/pslf/. Physical Demands
Remaining in a stationary position for prolonged periods Communicating with others to exchange information Repetitive motions such as typing or using a phone EEO Statement
NILC is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
#J-18808-Ljbffr