Law Student Internship Opportunities (Remote)

WHAT WE DO

Founded in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is a leading non-profit organization (501(c)3) in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their loved ones. NILC’s mission is grounded in the belief that everyone living in the U.S. regardless of race, gender/gender identity, immigration status, or economic status — should have equal access to justice, resources, and educational and economic opportunities that enable them to achieve their full human potential. Together, NILC and the affiliated NILC Immigrant Justice Fund (IJF), a 501(c)4 organization, work to advocate more directly for federal immigration reform policies. NILC is committed to advancing its mission — which intersects race, immigration status, and class — through racial, economic, and gender justice and equity orientation.

NILC seeks to achieve just laws and policies that address systemic inequities, create narrative and culture change for an inclusive and equitable society, and build a healthier and more powerful movement.

For more information, please visit www.nilc.org and www.immigrantjusticefund.org.

LEGAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

NILC encourages applications from law students to work remotely on projects benefiting low-income immigrants in one of NILC’s priority areas: ensuring that immigrants have fair and equal access to education, health care, driver licenses, and other economic supports; defending and advancing workers’ rights through a campaign to support deferred action for workers involved in labor disputes; fighting for access and fairness in immigration entry and sponsorship processes; and building power and pro-immigrant momentum through federal and state policy gains and narrative change. NILC’s recent work has focused on litigation challenging the termination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); litigation to challenge the government’s conduct of a Trump-era worksite immigration raid; litigation to challenge the exclusion of certain immigrants from eligibility for driver’s licenses in Indiana; and advocating for legislative and administrative policies to protect low-income immigrants and their families, including advocacy around the government’s proposed regulatory changes to “public charge.”

Summer internships are full-time, for a minimum of 10 weeks. NILC also considers applications for full- and part-time externships during the academic year.  We prefer the school year externship duration to be at least 6 to 10 weeks, with a minimum of 12 hours per week, though a 10-hour weekly commitment will be considered. There is no monetary compensation for school year externships, but academic credit may be available, depending on the school or institution where the student is enrolled.

TO APPLY

Applications will be accepted from 2L law students. Applications consist of a cover letter, résumé, brief legal writing sample, and list of two references.

The application period for summer law student internships begins Oct. 1. Interested students are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible, but no later than Jan. 31. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

When the application period is open, applications should be made through the “Work at NILC” webpage.

NILC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. NILC does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, ethnic background, religion, political orientation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative.

First Generation Civil Rights Fellowship

www.FirstGENFellows.org

OVERVIEW

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) launched the First Generation Civil Rights Fellowship (FirstGEN) program during the summer of 2013, to coincide with the Lawyers’ Committee’s fiftieth anniversary. Shortly after, the Washington, DC, office of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) agreed to become FirstGEN partnering organizations. Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) became the fourth FirstGEN partner organization in 2015.

FirstGEN is a ten-week summer program for undergraduate students who are the first in their immediate families to attend an institution of higher education and who are passionate about pursuing careers in social justice. Fellows gain hands-on experience working on civil rights matters as full-time public policy and social justice interns, while also participating in a parallel training program. FirstGEN creates a greater community of advocates by linking emerging leaders with existing ones and by creating a FirstGEN alumni network. Each fellow receives a $1,500 stipend.

FirstGEN is a Lawyers’ Committee, NILC, CLINIC, and AAJC collaborative program, with the Lawyers’ Committee serving as program lead. The press release announcing the Lawyers’ Committee, NILC and CLINIC FirstGEN partnership is available here, and a PDF version of FirstGEN’s program overview is available here.

For more information about FirstGEN Fellows, visit www.FirstGenFellows.org, follow FirstGEN on Twitter and Instagram, and like FirstGEN on Facebook.

MISSION

To identify, support and advance emerging first-generation social justice leaders.

Application available at http://firstgenfellows.org/apply/.