The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) seeks law students to work as summer interns with our U.S. Legal Services Department. In particular, IRAP seeks candidates who are interested in working mainly with IRAP’s direct legal services team, although interns/externs will also have the opportunity to work on assignments with other departments as well.
JOB SUMMARY
Qualifications
- Only candidates in J.D. programs will be considered
- One year of law school must be completed prior to the start of the internship;
- Candidates must have work authorization in the United States in order to apply for an internship;
- Strong research, writing, and analytical skills;
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
- Sensitivity to client empowerment and to working with clients of all backgrounds, including LGBTI clients, survivors of trauma, and other vulnerable populations;
- Initiative to see projects through and ability to multitask;
- Proficiency in Google Workspace and Westlaw or LexisNexis;
- Excellent English communication skills required
- Strong interest in refugee processing, immigration law, and human rights
- Non-compensated positions for academic credit(s) (must be coordinated in collaboration with an applicant’s school)
- A brief legal writing sample (no more than 10 pages) not heavily edited by others, e.g. research memo or excerpt of a brief.
Responsibilities
- Supporting the direct representation of forcibly displaced people and their family members seeking safe passage to the United States by drafting memos, briefs, conducting fact-finding, and interviewing clients;
- Conducting intake interviews and identifying client needs for direct services;
- Participating in discrete special projects, including remote legal clinics;
- Conducting outreach to affected communities, preparing legal information materials, and participating in public education efforts;
- Contributing as needed to the work of other programmatic departments, such as by:
- Participating in litigation efforts as appropriate, including conducting factual and legal research, preparing litigation documents, and cite-checking;
- Conducting legal research in support of a multi-organizational working group on climate change;
- Drafting and updating legal practitioner guides, analyzing changes in law and newly released government documents, and creating other materials to assist IRAP staff and legal aid practitioners
Benefits
- Paid internship where students are compensated $15 per hour for 40 hours per week.
Candidates can apply to:
