The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, nonprofit organization that serves women, girls, and all immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other violence. Our whole-person approach to services provides each survivor with free legal support and social services to secure their rights and build stable lives. We translate our client services work into expert training, outreach, and policy advocacy to ensure that systems, laws, and policies protect immigrant survivors from violence and exploitation. Our programs efficiently and effectively leverage donated professional services from a vast network of attorneys, medical professionals, and other experts to serve as many immigrant survivors as possible. By amplifying the experiences of survivors, our mission is to create a world in which all people share equal rights and live in safety and with dignity.
Duties and Responsibilities May Include:
Client communication: assist attorneys with client communications and interviewing prospective clients
Immigration court hearing preparation: assist attorneys with preparing for court hearings at Baltimore and Hyattsville Immigration Courts, such as with compiling trial binders, preparing requests for prosecutorial discretion, drafting and preparing motions, and observing court hearing if there is availability and interest.
Asylum interview preparation: assist attorneys with preparing for asylum interviews at Arlington Asylum Office, such as collecting and compiling supplemental evidence, preparing filing submissions, and observing mock interview sessions with clients if there is availability and interest.
Legal writing and research: with attorney supervision, draft legal documents such as client letters, client declarations, legal memoranda, and briefs. Research country conditions for asylum, VAWA, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and/or U visa/T visa cases.
Administrative work: Process mail, maintain and update information in electronic case management systems and physical files.
Opportunities may arise to participate in community outreach and/or advocacy work, if the intern is interested, but this would not be a major focus of the internship
Requirements:
Commitment to at least 15 hours per week in a hybrid environment, for an internship term of at least 10 weeks, not including school holidays.
Enrollment in accredited law school, excellent research, writing and analytical skills, commitment to or interest in public interest law.
Enrollment in law school externship or confirmation of candidate’s receipt of third party funding for internship.
Language skills, particularly Spanish, highly desired but not required.
Must work well independently and together with a team of attorneys, paralegals, and social service professionals.
Must be detail-oriented, well-organized, responsible, personable, and comfortable working with diverse populations from a variety of backgrounds.
Sensitivity to working with trauma survivors.
Previous experience in immigration law, domestic violence or criminal law is helpful but not required.
Compensation:
Tahirih pays interns a $5000 stipend for completing 300 hours over the course of the semester
Work Authorization:
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
Tahirih Justice Center is committed to equal opportunity and promotes equity and transparency as core values. Tahirih practices inclusiveness in decision making through the use of consultation with employees throughout the organization. Tahirih does not discriminate against any person on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, ability, gender, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Applicants committed to equity from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities are encouraged to apply.
