Legal Internship, Immigration Impact LAB

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in District of Columbia.

📋 Description

• The Legal Intern will support our team in representing immigrants during appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the U.S. Courts of Appeal.

• The Legal Intern will also aid our staff with class action lawsuits, amicus briefs, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) complaints, and habeas petitions in federal district courts and U.S. Courts of Appeal.

• The Legal Intern may participate in various aspects of our ongoing appeals at the BIA and federal circuit courts pertaining to asylum/Convention Against Torture, the intersection of criminal and immigration law (“crimmigration”), and immigration detention. This includes evaluating new referrals, conducting legal research, writing memoranda, and contributing to amicus and merits briefing.

• The Legal Intern may assist in drafting habeas petitions aimed at securing the release of immigrant adults from detention, along with preparing habeas cases for collaboration with pro bono partners.

• This assistance may encompass legal research, phone interviews with detained clients, evidence gathering, petition drafting, and working in conjunction with community advocacy organizations.

• The Legal Intern may also support ongoing litigation under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

• This role may involve drafting FOIA requests and complaints, researching the applicability of FOIA exemptions, and tracking and analyzing FOIA production.

• The Legal Intern may contribute to the development of the Lab's website resources, conduct training sessions, and create practice advisories to support and educate attorneys assisting immigrants in detention.

⛳️ Requirements

• A second or third-year law student enrolled at a U.S. ABA-accredited law school.

• Evening students are encouraged to apply.

• Ability to commit to a minimum of 15 hours each week.

• Strong skills in legal research, communication, and writing.

• Excellent organizational and time-management abilities, along with a readiness to work promptly and effectively within a team.

• Experience and enthusiasm for working in immigration law, immigrants’ rights, or related areas such as social justice and advocacy.

• Competence and comfort in engaging with adults and children from low socio-economic backgrounds, who may have experienced trauma and previous interactions with the criminal justice system.

• A background in community organizing or political lobbying is advantageous but not mandatory.

• Fluency in Spanish is preferred but not essential.

• Fluency in other languages, including French, Portuguese, or Arabic, is welcomed.

🏝️ Benefits

• Internships are unpaid; however, Amica Center can assist students in obtaining internship credit.

• Additionally, a limited number of small scholarship stipends are available through a separate application process.