Katia Desales
Corona,NY
Summary
Excellent communication, organizational and computer skills; ability to work independently or as part of a team to meet project deadlines with a high level of adaptability. Driven Paralegal successful at thriving in high stress, high-pressure environments and situations involving constant change and vast ambiguity in data and instruction.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Paralegal
Khurgel Immigration Law Firm
2019.04 - Current
- Reduced attorney workload by drafting routine legal documents such as pleadings, motions, and affidavits.
- Managed scheduling of court calendars and deadlines to maintain smooth flow of firm operations.
- Enhanced case efficiency by organizing and maintaining legal documents, files, and correspondence.
- Assisted counsel in preparing answers, providing documentation, and information for discovery request.
- Liaised with other paralegals and legal staff to complete common tasks on schedule.
- Contributed to firm-client relationship building through professional interactions with clients during meetings or phone calls, conveying empathy while maintaining confidentiality.
- Maintained and updated organized client contact information to keep in touch with clients and provide updates on cases.
- Prepared legal briefs, motions, and pleadings.
- Boosted office productivity by maintaining an accurate calendar of appointments, deadlines, and court appearances.
- Met with clients to gather information, prepare documentation, and determine necessary actions.
- Created and managed processes and procedures to coordinate documentation for visa processing on immigrant and non-immigrant applications.
- Compiled client application packets and included relevant documentation to present strongest case for successful outcome.
- Interacted with telephone callers and answered questions about immigration attorneys' services.
- Identified potential issues and concerns and proactively escalated to manager to reduce barriers.
- Corresponded with current and prospective clients to obtain information and enable effective case development.
- Identified opportunities to expedite case processing times through strategic utilization of premium processing services when applicable.
- Managed a high volume of cases simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.
- Coordinated appointments with clients for attorney consultations, improving scheduling efficiency within the office environment.
- Provided guidance to junior paralegals on best practices related to document preparation and case management techniques.
- Communicated pertinent information to clients via phone, email, and mail.
Legal Assistant
The Law Office of Carolina C. Gomez
2018.04 - Current
- Prepare and create retainers, receipts, receive payments, manage appointments and answer phones;
- Meet with clients and review necessary documents and information for their immigration process;
- Create client’s account in eImmigrationAir (Cerenade) according to immigration process;
- Prepare and assemble immigration cases: Family Petitions U.S
- Citizenship, DACA, Permanent Legal Residence Renewals, Work Permits, Applications for Travel Documents, Adjustment of Status, FOIA’s;
- Attend Immigration Interviews with attorney and client as a translator;
- Organize, track case files and analyze information and correspondence pertaining to clients case;
- Copy, scan and mail out clients immigration applications to the designated USCIS office
Legal Assistant
Duarte Law Group
2017.07 - 2018.04
- Work independently to maintain, organize, analyze and manage a personal case load of 40 family base immigration cases;
- Prepare and assemble immigration cases; Family petitions, U.S
- Citizenship forms, DACA, National Visa Center Process, Provisional Waivers/I-601A, I-601, I-212, Permanent Legal Residence Renewal, Work permits, Application for Travel Document, Adjustment of Status, FOIA’s and U-Visa’s;
- Communicate with clients to ensure all cases are submitted promptly after attorney retention to ensure that applications and supporting documents are submitted and deadlines are met;
- Assist in client case screening over the phone or in person;
- Research facts, new immigration laws and update attorney on any change in immigration law;
- Prepare and create attorney retainers, receipts, take payments, managed appointments and answer phones
Legal Assistant
El Camino Immigration Services
2012.04 - 2017.07
- Organize, track case files and analyze information;
- Prepare correspondence;
- Experience with the following immigration cases; Family petitions, U.S
- Citizenship forms, DACA, Provisional Waivers/I-601A and I-601, National Visa Center Process, Permanent Legal Residence Renewal, Work permits, Application for Travel Document, Adjustment of Status, FOIA’s and U-Visa’s;
- Managed and maintained a personal case load of 150 clients;
- Communicated with clients via telephone, email, and/or fax regarding requests for information, case status, and immigration procedures to ensure that applications and supporting documents were submitted and deadlines were met in a timely fashion;
- Assisted in daily client interactions, case management and worked with clients to gather and organized supporting data;
- Researched facts to ensure the proper action was taken for each case;
- Notarized necessary office documents
Operations Manager
Frias Professional Window Cleaners
2011.05 - 2012.01
- Created and organized all paperwork for residential and commercial clients including invoices, estimates, memos, proposals, contracts and purchase orders;
- Controlled appointments for all crew members;
- Handled all outgoing and incoming calls, emails and mail;
- Customer Service;
- Filing, Scanning, Faxing;
- Conducted minor marketing projects including flyer designs, web page management and design and business card designs
Education
High school diploma -
South Gate High School
South Gate, CA01.2003
Skills
- Critical Thinking and Research Skills
- Typing 80 WPM
- Microsoft Office Skills
- Office Procedures
- Proficient use of eImmigration (Cerenade)
- Excellent English and Spanish verbal and written communications
- Troubleshoot Computer Problems
- Excellent at multi-tasking
- Reliable
- Flexible
- Hard working
- Filing and Data Archiving
- Visa applications
- Client relations skills
- Deadline Management
- Document Preparation
- Global immigration filings
- Immigration inquiries
- Visa processing
- Multilingual Proficiency
- Immigration Law Knowledge
- eIMMIGRATIONAIR proficiency
- Petition drafting
- Proficient in MS Office
- Attorney Support
- Project Management
- Document drafting
- Calendar Management
- Multitasking Abilities
- Reliability
- Critical Thinking
- Effective Communication
- Adaptability and Flexibility
Coreaccomplishments
- Training, Responsible for training all new employees to ensure continued quality of customer service.
- Management Support, Reorganized management and business operations resulting in easier interactions with customers and a more productive staff.
- Customer Service, Handled customers effectively by identifying needs, quickly gaining trust, approaching complex situations and resolving problems to maximize efficiency.
Career Overview
Excellent communication, organizational and computer skills; ability to work independently or as part of a team to meet project deadlines with a high level of adaptability.
Languages
Spanish
Full Professional
Timeline
Paralegal
Khurgel Immigration Law Firm
2019.04 - Current
Legal Assistant
The Law Office of Carolina C. Gomez
2018.04 - Current
Legal Assistant
Duarte Law Group
2017.07 - 2018.04
Legal Assistant
El Camino Immigration Services
2012.04 - 2017.07
Operations Manager
Frias Professional Window Cleaners
2011.05 - 2012.01
High school diploma -
South Gate High School
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