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7 Jun 2021

Internship Refugee Representation Legal Intern

Human Rights First – Posted by Brenda Balcarcel –  Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Job Description

The Refugee Representation team works to provide indigent asylum seekers with quality legal representation in their asylum cases. The program also advocates for legal reform and policy change on issues affecting asylum seekers in the United States.
We seek part-time legal interns during the fall semester every academic year (15 hours per week minimum). Interns will be based in our Washington, D.C. office. All internships are unpaid, though externship credit may be available through students’ law schools. Interns must be currently enrolled in law school.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Conduct screenings and intake interviews with potential asylum clients;
  • Write and edit detailed factual and legal reports with extensive country conditions documentation and legal analysis;
  • Conduct issue-spotting to evaluate whether each individual meets the legal definition of a refugee (training is provided for those with no experience on asylum or refugee issues);
  • Assist Human Rights First attorneys in drafting affidavits, briefs, and other legal documents for asylum seekers;
  • Complete immigration forms for Human Rights First’s direct representation clients, including family reunification petitions and green card applications when needed;
  • Assist staff with legal research, preparation for trainings, meetings, and special projects, particularly those of interest to the intern;
  • Participate in various NGO and government liaison meetings with the Department of Homeland Security;
  • Help with the process of identifying, analyzing, and responding to legal or procedural changes that affect asylum seekers, including statutory changes, proposed regulations, and decisions from federal courts or the Board of Immigration Appeals;
  • Assist staff with written and oral correspondence with existing clients, potential clients, interpreters, and others involved in the process of case screening, acceptance, and placement with law firms;
  • Provide interpretation services on an occasional basis if fully fluent in a relevant second language.
DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
  • Demonstrated interest in human rights, asylum, and immigration issues (experience in asylum and immigration issues preferred, but not required);
  • Excellent writing and editing skills;
  • Excellent communication skills;
  • Excellent research abilities;
  • Fluency in a second language, especially Spanish, French, Amharic/Tigrinya, Farsi, and Arabic, preferred, but not required;
  • Ability to handle several tasks at once while working independently or as a member of a team;
  • Compassion, empathy, and a sense of humor.
EDUCATION: Applicants MUST be law students who are currently enrolled in U.S.-based institutions and will be attending classes in the semester of or following their internship.
COMPENSATION: Unpaid
START DATE: September 8, 2021
TIME COMMITMENT: 15 hours per week minimum
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: July 23, 2021
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How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Interested candidates should apply at humanrightsfirst.org/careers. Please include a cover letter, resume, and short writing sample, all in PDF format.
Only selected applicants will be contacted for phone interviews. NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.
Human Rights First provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Job Types: Internship.

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