Legal Services Intern

Status: Part - Time, Non Exempt, Specific Term 35 hours/week for 10 weeks (May - August 2025)

Location: Newark, NJ

Application Deadline: January 31, 2025

For consideration, please attach your Cover Letter and Resume to the online application in addition to answering the Application Questions.

Summary of Principal Responsibilities  

The Legal Services Intern will work with and under the supervision of AFSC staff to conduct intakes with immigrants for eligibility for humanitarian and family-based forms of immigration relief; provide critical support in detained and/or non-detained removal defense cases; prepare applications for submission to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); assist with legal research and writing; and work with clients to gather information and documents needed in support of their immigration cases.  The internship will offer the opportunity to observe and participate in immigration court proceedings, as well as USCIS interviews.     

Essential Functions/Specific Responsibilities:  

1. Assist in or conduct legal screenings to determine eligibility for immigration benefits such as asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention against Torture, cancellation of removal, VAWA, U Visa, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, or other immigration relief.   
2. Research legal issues and country conditions in support of the cases of AFSC clients. 
3. Draft briefs and legal memoranda.   
4. Gather documentation and assist with case preparation.    
5. Translate documents or assist with interpretation, as necessary.  
6. Participate in DDDI team and other AFSC meetings.   
7. Meet regularly with a supervisor.  

Minimum Qualifications:  â€¯ 

1. Current law school student. 
2. Personal experience with immigration systems a plus.  
3. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multicultural contexts.  
4. Good oral and written communication skills.    
5. Ability to communicate effectively and build mutually respectful relationships with co-workers, clients, and the public.  
6. Ability to work effectively and comfortably with Quaker principles.  
7. Self-motivated, detail oriented, well-organized, able to prioritize assignments and workload.    
8. Fluency in a foreign language (Spanish preferred) in addition to English is a plus.  

Compensation:  Unpaid. AFSC will work with law students who have secured academic credit and/or school or outside funding for their summer internship.  

The American Friends Service Committee is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified persons are encouraged to apply regardless of their religious affiliation, race, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. 

The Northeast Regional Office of the AFSC is a unionized workplace.  This position is not represented under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  

The American Friends Service Committee is a smoke-free workplace.