Senior Paralegal I

Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP • Full-time • New York, New York, United States • 4d ago

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!

In addition to competitive pay, a discretionary annual bonus, and a supportive, team oriented culture, we offer an outstanding benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, sick time, unlimited vacation, and 401(k) with company match.

OVERVIEW:

The Senior Paralegal is responsible for working with attorneys in the preparation, filing, and monitoring of 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. This role has excellent career-pathing opportunities including the ability to grow into a Practice Support Leader or other career paths.

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; serves 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 larger scope of work
Evaluates problematic cases and proactive provides strategies and/or solutions to issues, partnering with Attorney as needed
Prepares forms, letters, documents and correspondence for attorney review; adapts tools and resources for casework which 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 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 information so that they can make accurate decisions. Is timely with information
Is good at establishing clear directions. Distributes the workload appropriately. Assigns work in a well-planned and organized manner. Is a clear communicator and maintains effective two-way dialogue with others
Acts as a mentor and 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 U.S. corporate immigration experience
Bachelor’s degree + 1-year law-related experience under 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.

In accordance with New York City’s Wage Transparency Law, the expected salary range for this position in New York is between $93,600 and $99,500.
Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience, geographic location, and other job-related factors as permitted by law.
In addition to competitive pay, a discretionary annual bonus, and a supportive, team-oriented culture, we offer an outstanding benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, sick time, unlimited vacation, and 401(k) with company match.

Note: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with this job.

Berry Appleman & Leiden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of BAL to ensure an equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, creed, genetic predisposition or carrier status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. BAL prohibits and will not tolerate any such discrimination or harassment.

BAL does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. BAL is under no obligation to pay any referral compensation or recruiter fee in the absence of a current executed Recruitment Services Agreement. In the event a recruiter or agency submits an unsolicited resume or candidate without an agreement, BAL reserves the right to pursue and hire said candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of BAL. If your agency would like to be considered as a potential recruiting partner, please forward your contact information to Recruitment@BAL.com.