Senior Immigration Paralegal I - Chicago, United States - Berry Appleman & Leiden

Description

Description

Who we are: BAL is a team of brilliant people who change lives through elite immigration work and collaborative innovation. We pursue the exceptional in all that we do, but never at the expense of our values. There's no denying our work is demanding, both in volume and pace, but we're up for the challenge. We love the balance of hard work and fun – so, you'll see us in jeans as we shatter glass ceilings and conventional stereotypes. BAL employees feel valued, rewarded, and respected. We seek opportunities to be of service to others and our communities. We are committed to your growth and development and want to set you up for success here at BAL and beyond. Who you are: You are looking for work that has a purpose. You aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves and get stuff done. You learn quickly. You move fast. You embrace challenge and detail as well as creative thinking. You believe you have something unique to contribute and you aren't afraid to raise your hand. You understand that powering human achievement is ultimately about impacting a real person. You are looking for a place to grow and an environment where everyone has a spot and is genuinely welcome. We're better together: A bright, driven person like you and an industry-leading powerhouse like BAL? It's a perfect combination We truly want to see you succeed here and become an integral part of our mission to provide an experience that makes a positive difference in people's lives. Come be a part of something special, where you can have an impact and be valued just for being you OVERVIEW: The Senior Paralegal is responsible for working with attorneys to prepare, file, and monitor various immigration and nationality law matters. Additionally, the Senior Paralegal is recognized for their expertise in a particular area of practice or several areas of practice. The Senior Paralegal therefore serves as a team and practice group resource.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Frequently communicates with assignees and HR contacts, often serving as main point of contact

Provides guidance to assignees and HR contacts regarding proprietary systems and case processing

Thorough understanding of multiple communication procedures and requirements for assignees and HR contacts; reviews work of Immigration Assistants/Paralegals

Inputs client services rendered and sends to Accounting for processing

Demonstrates mastery of multiple case types, continually builds on knowledge and develops expertise in new areas; independently handles cases; teaches and mentors others; coordinates flow of cases and oversees project

Recognized for their expertise in a particular area of practice and, therefore; serve as a team and practice group resource

Processes a high volume of cases and works on cases of increasing complexity and variation; coordinates work for a major client and/or multiple clients and is responsible for a larger scope of work

Evaluates problematic cases and provides strategies and/or solutions to issues, partnering with Attorneys as needed

Prepares forms, letters, documents, and correspondence for attorney review; adapts tools and resources for casework that deviates from templates; applies knowledge of BAL practices and contributes new best practices

Leverages BAL expertise to partner with Knowledge Management in developing new materials

Manages the status of all filed applications and petitions and finalizes documents after attorney review

Utilizes document and data management systems to prepare, monitor, and record all aspects of client casework as per BAL policy; reviews work of Immigration Assistants/Paralegals

Prepares internal caseload reports for management; begins to generate reports for internal and external use to serve as effective quality assurance and to assist in client management

Shares process flow with assignees; Identifies problematic cases and discusses strategies and/or solutions with Attorney

Performs research to obtain information such as background on a company or industry, current wages, processing procedures, standard processing times, etc.; reviews research performed by others

Initiates contact with government agencies to obtain necessary information; alerts attorney regarding potential process delays/problems and ensures these are addressed and resolved

Provides the information people need to know to do their jobs and to feel good about being a member of the team. Provides individuals with information so that they can make accurate decisions. Is timely with information

Is good at establishing clear directions. Distributes the workload appropriately. Assign work in a well-planned and organized manner. Is a clear communicator and maintains effective two-way dialogue with others.

Acts as a mentor for team members. Provides developmental feedback to jr team members, directly related to work on specific area dos practice.

Involves team members in achieving project goals and timelines as a way to learn and contribute to the process.

Provides orientation to new employees.

Evaluates content and delivery methods for training programs

QUALIFICATIONS:

Typically at least 3+ years . corporate immigration experience.

Bachelor's degree + 1-year law-related experience under a licensed attorney; or PL certificate from ABA approved program

Demonstrate mastery of Paralegal skills

Proven ability to handle a high volume of cases

Proven ability to become thoroughly proficient in handling complex, challenging, and VIP cases

Proven ability to manage corporate clients as it relates to area of specialization

Comprehensive knowledge of Team practice

Ability to quickly absorb, learn and become skilled at a variety of legal work

Able and willing to share knowledge with others and effectively communicate policies/procedures/protocols to all

Capable of highly independent work

WORKING CONDITIONS:Able to sit and work at a computer keyboard for extended periods of time. Able to stoop, kneel, bend at the waist and reach on a daily basis. Able to perform general office administrative activities: copying, filing, delivering and using the telephone. Able to lift and move up to 25 pounds occasionally. Regular and on-time attendance. Must be able to prioritized, schedule and complete testing required for multiple applications with overlapping schedules. A certain degree of creativity and flexibility is required. Hours may exceed 40 hours per week. Occasional travel by conventional means including aircraft, motor vehicle and the like within the region and to other locations as required.