Legal Clinic Operations Assistant

The Legal Clinic Operations Assistant of Southwestern Law School helps oversee the Legal Clinic Department in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Clinical Operations. The Operations Assistant supports the clinic programs and works closely with faculty, students, clients, and community members. The Operations Assistant also provides case support to in-house clinic faculty members.

This is an in-person position with some remote work available. The Legal Clinic Operations Assistant will report to the Associate Dean of Clinical Programs.

Key responsibilities:

  • Management of day-to-day clinic operations.
  • Conduct administrative training and onboarding of clinic students.
  • Supervise and assist clinic students with administrative matters, including time sheets, mailing procedures, telephone calls, and monitoring the clinic voicemail.
  • Assist in clinic data capture, reporting, and other administrative matters.
  • Prepare immigration applications, document translations, and other documents as needed.
  • Assist clients with gathering documents and preparing for hearings.
  • Translate documents and correspondence from English to Spanish and Spanish to English.
  • Serve as Spanish interpreter for client consultations and telephone calls.
  • Interact with schools, government agencies, and advocates on behalf of clients.
  • Conduct telephone intake screenings for legal issues, interviews, and other communications with clients, caretakers, and family members.
  • Answer inquiries from community members and make referrals when appropriate.
  • Organize and maintain physical and electronic case files, including copying and scanning, opening, and closing out client files.
  • Input, update, and maintain client information and other data in the case management system.
  • Distribute incoming mail and prepare outgoing mail daily, ensure time sensitive mail is sent accordingly.
  • Assist with clinic event planning and manage the clinic calendar.
  • Assist with educational and outreach programs.
  • Organize and maintain clinic workspace and office supplies.
  • Responsible for billing and accounting duties.
  • Answer inquiries from faculty, staff, and students.
  • Maintain positive relationships with alumni, students, staff, and faculty.
  • Perform other work-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Job Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree required.
  • Experience working with students in higher education.
  • Legal assistant experience a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

  • Bilingual in Spanish and English; verbal and written fluency in Spanish (professional proficiency) is required.
  • Ability to work independently in a busy and dynamic office shared with students.
  • Prior immigration experience, experience working with trauma survivors, children, or other vulnerable populations preferred.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with individuals and groups from diverse ethnic, cultural, and educational backgrounds.
  • Strong organizational skills to manage and prioritize multiple projects and case work.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint.
  • Familiarity with case data management systems such as Clio.
  • Budget management.
  • Enthusiasm for working with law students.
  • Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
  • Ability to work flexibly with changing priorities and deadlines. 

Salary: $23.08/hour 

Please send a cover letter and resume to jobs2@swlaw.eduto be considered for this position.