Undergraduate Internship- Pro Bono Coordinating Team

Job Overview

Description Who We Are The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is now Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (“Amica Center” for short). Click here to learn more about our new name. Since our founding in 1999, we have grown significantly and added new services to support immigrants in detention. Recently, Amica Center has outgrown our name, expanding beyond our initial services and geographic boundaries. “Amica” is the Latin word for “friend,” and that echoes the way we approach what we do. Just as friends stand with one another, Amica Center stands with our clients to achieve the safety, stability, and opportunity we all deserve. We are the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area that is exclusively focused on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region and beyond. Position Summary Amica Center seeks interns who are passionate about public interest law and immigrants’ rights to join our Pro Bono Coordinating (PBC) team. The mission of Amica Center is to serve as the primary source of immigration legal assistance for noncitizens who are detained in the D.C. metropolitan area. We provide free legal services to immigrants facing deportation in ICE and ORR detention facilities in this area. We do this through a mix of in-house representation, external case placement, and mentorship of cases with pro bono attorneys from law firms, corporate legal departments, and law school clinical programs. This internship offers exposure to immigration law, a deeper understanding of the nuts and bolts of nonprofit legal practice, and an opportunity to build relationships in both the immigration nonprofit and law firm/corporate spaces. This internship also presents a unique opportunity for cross-program collaboration with Amica Center’s three legal programs: the Children’s Program, the Detained Adults Program, and the Immigration Impact Lab. We also work closely with our Communications and Development teams and our Volunteer Program. We are currently accepting applications for Spring 2025. Our Spring Internship Program requires a commitment of at least 10 weeks, starting on or around January 13. This will be a part-time internship consisting of 10-15 hours a week. Applicants from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. If relevant, please discuss in your application how your background motivates your interest in this position or otherwise affects your career goals. Internships are unpaid; however, Amica Center can assist students seeking internship credit or funding. Scholarship Opportunity Amica Center for Immigrant Rights invites all prospective interns to apply for the Amica Center Scholarship for the Spring 2025 semester. Amica Center will distribute four $1,000 tax-free* scholarships to eligible interns for the primary purpose of educational and professional development. To learn more, please visit https://amicacenter.org/join-the-fight/careers-internships/. Scholarship funds are intended to be used to pay for tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at an educational institution, or for fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses at the institution. Scholarship recipients are advised to speak to a tax-expert and report the scholarship funds in their gross income to the IRS. Remote Work Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to keep our internships accessible to all students regardless of geographic location, all Spring 2025 internships will be remote. We encourage applicants from local schools, as well as those from outside the D.C. area, to apply. While there will be no requirement that interns conduct any in-person work during their internships, interns may have the opportunity to appear in or observe court virtually or in-person if they are comfortable doing so. There may also be opportunities for occasional in-office work, in-person meetings, and events with staff and fellow interns. General Duties And Responsibilities Build and maintain strong relationships with our pro bono partners. Work externally with pro bono partners and internally with Amica Center staff to gather and analyze information on the impact of the pro bono program during various time periods. Draft summaries of available immigration cases for pro bono placement. Draft emails or newsletters promoting pro bono opportunities. Draft social media items to celebrate our pro bono teams and promote awareness of our work. Design and create flyers, PowerPoint slides, and/or other visual aids or infographics. Provide support for meetings or events, including external presentations or trainings. Gather, redact, and share resources with pro bono teams. Develop and/or update internal resources such as pro bono case placement materials, mentoring guides, sample briefs and motions. Attend training opportunities. Prepare documents in immigration proceedings. Conduct research to support the foregoing. Complete administrative or data-entry tasks related to the foregoing. Application Process To be considered for the internship, please fill out the application link below and attach the following materials in .pdf format to your Paylocity application. A resume; A cover letter indicating your interest in the position. Please describe what experiences, personal or professional, have motivated you to apply; Please apply to ONLY ONE department within Amica Center. For example, if you apply for this internship with the Immigration Impact Lab, please do not also apply for an internship with the Detained Adult Program. Please choose the department that best matches your preference, skills, and experience. DEADLINE TO APPLY: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Internship application will be open until October 31, 2024. Requirements Qualifications: Superior oral and written English communication skills Strong analytical and organizational skills Attention to detail and self-starter attitude Ability to work independently and as part of a team Willingness to perform administrative work, such as tracking and analyzing pro bono cases or hours, that advances the mission of the organization Experience with a variety of technology platforms and tools — including Microsoft products (Sharepoint/Onedrive, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Word), Foxit (or similar pdf editing and redacting platforms), Canva, Legal Server, and EveryAction — strongly preferred Familiarity with immigration law is preferred but not required. Required Resources A laptop or computer (*); Reliable internet; and A phone Amica Center may be able to provide access to a temporary laptop as needed.