Terleia Shields
Humble,TX
Summary
Motivated student ready to apply classroom knowledge to real-world experiences. Strong willingness to learn and contribute, with effective communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Legal Assistant
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Houston, TX
08.2021 - Current
- Schedules, prints, and mails court hearing notices notifying participating parties of hearing dates
- Reviews, processes, and manages incoming hard copy and electronic legal correspondence and legal documents (e.g., Charging documents/Notice to Appear (NTA), motions, petitions, forms such as an E-28 and E-33, applications such as a 42A, 42B, and I-589 and other legal documents) in automated information systems CASE and ECAS
- Answers in-person, telephone, and email inquiries related to (e.g., status of motion for change of venue, motion for a continuance and motion to consolidate, hearing dates and mediums, asylum clocks, and final orders) from attorneys, legal assistants, DHS staff, and the public acting as a liaison to provide legal information regarding procedures, requirements, and recommendations for practice before the immigration court and referring court related inquiries to necessary staff
- Establishes and keeps hard copy and electronic court files
- Processes and manages incoming and outgoing hard copy and electronic court files - Change of Venue (COV)
- Reviews and processes Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Board of Appeals (BIA), and record requests through hard copy legal documents and electronic inquiries
- Scans legal documents (e.g., documents for attorneys, respondents, and DHS to fulfill record request)
- Conducts extensive research for case information (e.g., retrieved attorney’s names from Disciplined Practitioners List and searched for the attorney’s EOIR IDs to find pending cases before the court and retrieved files from the closed file room to find discrepancies from the error report)
- Runs various court reports (e.g., Closed ROPS with Missing Data Report, Master Available Calendar, Pending Cases by Attorney, BIA Report and FOIA Report)
- Identifies, analyzes, and provides solutions to managers on administrative and operational issues to improve office efficiency
- Participates in remote work
- Handles mail (electronic, FedEx, USPS, and UPS)
- Enters basic time and attendance information in WebTA (e.g., biweekly payroll information and leave)
- Trained several colleagues on electronic queues and reports (e.g., NTAs, COVs, E-28s and the Pending Cases by Attorney Report)
- Helped with various projects (e.g., the Docket Management Project printing and mailing hearing notices and the FRC Project fixing labels, scanning, and correcting error reports)
- Volunteered and was selected as member of the CFR Legal Pathways Virtual Court Intake Team for a six-month detail helping various detainee facilities with processing Credible Fear Review (CFR) 2,000+ cases and immigration courts with electronic filings such as 10,000+ NTAs and COVs and resetting 5,000+ cases through CASE and ECAS)
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Legal Assistant
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Baltimore, MD
01.2017 - 08.2021
- Scheduled, printed, and mailed court hearing notices notifying participating parties of hearing dates
- Contacted and responded to respondents, counsel, and attorneys regarding calendaring matters
- Checked-in respondents, counsel, and attorneys during Master Calendar hearings
- Coordinated and helped in processing actions during real-time Master Calendar hearings by generating, pulling, organizing, assembling, and cross-referencing, providing required case files to the Immigration Judge, and providing notices and legal resources as needed
- Created and sent notifications to each party to the proceeding at once upon issuance of a decision or order
- Used call ups for written pleadings and applications and all other submissions were due according to the practice manual
- Ran motions report weekly and gave all motions to the judge as soon as they were received; Judge ruled on and the motion was processed within 20 days of receipt
- Updated 10,000+ cases, regular motions, and Liaison Judge motions efficiently, accurately, and in a timely manner
- Ran off calendar report weekly and made sure cases were scheduled or closed out appropriately
- Ran various court reports (e.g., Call-up and Monthly Calendar Summary)
- Kept Immigration Judge’s calendar and scheduled or rescheduled court hearings based on the Immigration Judge’s availability
- Answered in-person, telephone, and email inquiries related to (e.g., status of motion for change of venue, motion for a continuance and motion to consolidate, hearing dates and mediums, asylum clocks, and final orders) from attorneys, legal assistants, DHS staff, and the public acting as a liaison to provide legal information regarding procedures, requirements, and recommendations for practice before the immigration court and referred court related inquiries to necessary staff
- Reviewed, processed, and managed incoming legal correspondence and legal documents (e.g., Charging documents, motions, exhibits, petitions, forms such as an E-28 and E-33, applications such as a 42A, 42B, and I-589 and other legal documents) in automated information systems CASE and ECAS
- Established and kept court files
- Processed and managed incoming and outgoing court files - Change of Venue (COV)
- Drafted a training guide for incoming and outgoing Change of Venue (COV) processes for the court to train new employees
- Served as primary point of contact for Federal Records Center (FRC) matters; managed and monitored spreadsheets and ordered files upon request from respondents and their representatives of record for File Requests and for the Board of Appeals (BIA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests
- Identified, analyzed, and provided solutions to managers on administrative and operational issues to improve office efficiency
- Participated in remote work
- Handled mail (electronic, FedEx, USPS, and UPS)
- Enters basic time and attendance information in WebTA (e.g., biweekly payroll information and leave)
- Performed other related duties as assigned.
Sales Associate
Fire and Ice
Baltimore, MD
05.2006 - 06.2007
- Greeted customers
- Advised customers by providing information on products
- Helped customers make selections while offering suggestions and opinions
- Kept clientele informed through notifications of preferred customer sales and future merchandise of potential interest
- Proactively drove full price sell-thru at point-of-sale by maintaining consistent communication with store management teams regarding sales goals/plans, competitor performance, seasonal clinics, and in-store events
- Analyzed sales and merchandising to formulate creative selling strategies that maximize opportunities to attract, engage, and motivate the customer towards making a purchase
- Maximized sales by displaying and maintaining jewelry to fit current trends through visual merchandising consisting of windows and in-store displays
- Maintained inventory and supplies
- Utilized Point of Sales (POS) to take payments and manage customer accounts
- Made bank deposits
- Performed other related duties as assigned.
Correctional Officer
Maryland Correctional Institution for Women
Jessup, MD
05.2005 - 04.2006
- Kept records
- Wrote reports
- Oversaw and supervised
- Mediated and resolved problems amongst inmates.
Administrative Assistant
Venturi Staffing
Columbia, MD
06.2002 - 04.2005
- Answered phones
- Scheduled appointments
- Greeted visitors
- Maintained files
- Entered in data
- Processed required paperwork
- Assisted in preparation of reports
- Handled incoming/outgoing mail and packages
- Drafted correspondence and memoranda
- Purchased supplies and maintained inventory
- Performed other related duties as assigned.
Education
Master of Legal Studies - Human Resources and Employment Law
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX01.2025
Bachelor of Arts - Government and Public Policy
University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD05.2014
Legal Studies
The Community College of Baltimore County
Catonsville, MDSkills
- Data Management
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Written and Oral Communication
- Organizational Efficiency
- Confidentiality
- Task Prioritization
- Fast Learner
- MS Office Proficient
References
Available Upon Request
Timeline
Legal Assistant
Executive Office for Immigration Review
08.2021 - Current
Legal Assistant
Executive Office for Immigration Review
01.2017 - 08.2021
Sales Associate
Fire and Ice
05.2006 - 06.2007
Correctional Officer
Maryland Correctional Institution for Women
05.2005 - 04.2006
Administrative Assistant
Venturi Staffing
06.2002 - 04.2005
Master of Legal Studies - Human Resources and Employment Law
Texas A&M University
Bachelor of Arts - Government and Public Policy
University of Baltimore
Legal Studies
The Community College of Baltimore County
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