Clinical Intern

UnCommon Law•Oakland, CA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

Uncommon Law fights to ensure that all people incarcerated for violent crime have access to healing, justice, and effective legal representation. Through our unique, trauma-informed model of advocacy, we provide the space currently missing in the system for healing, accountability, and safe pathways home from prison. In developing new self-narratives, the people we serve are able to more effectively disrupt violence inside and outside prison and become leaders who change negative societal narratives about those incarcerated for violent crime. Our groundbreaking approach is changing policy and outcomes, driven by the voices and experiences of system-impacted communities. About the Role Uncommon Law provides legal and therapeutic counseling to people currently serving life or lengthy terms in California prisons. We work with people who are incarcerated to identify how life experiences and trauma contributed to their personal development and how they continue to impact their lives today. We counsel people to develop self-awareness, insight and a comprehensive life narrative. We develop plans with our clients to attend groups or educational programs or correspondence courses, or we select and share resources that meet their individual needs. The Clinical Intern provides direct services to clients inside California prisons, supporting people to more deeply understand and heal from their histories of trauma, and to navigate their current experiences. The clinical intern collaborates with legal team members and with other members of the clinical team to support their work. The Clinical Intern position is part-time (24hours/week) over the 2026/2027 Academic Calendar, beginning September 7, 2026 and ending April 23, 2027. This position is unpaid and includes a $1,500 stipend per semester. UnCommon Law will be flexible about scheduling and understands that many students are not only busy with school, but are also working. This is a hybrid position that requires a minimum of two days in person for a minimum of 16 hours per week spent either traveling to prisons or at our office in Oakland. We encourage people who have been directly impacted by incarceration to apply.

Requirements

At least one year of clinical (intern level) experience in healing settings, ideally with a trauma-informed approach.
Experience working in diverse settings with people across all socio-economic spectrums and a wide variety of personalities and roles - staff, participants, local agencies, vendors, volunteers, etc.
Strong interpersonal, team development, organizational, and management skills
Highly organized with attention to detail; patience; ability to work independently and coordinate multiple, diverse projects, set realistic deadlines, and manage a timeline
Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and unwavering commitment to the organization’s mission
Strong interpersonal skills
Willingness to learn and grow with the organization
Valid California ID
BA, plus graduate school courses towards clinical degree
Reliable transportation to visit institutions (preferred)

Responsibilities

Provide therapy to 4-6 clients weekly, including in-person and video visits
Develop counseling treatment plans
Coordinate and collaborate with attorneys
Consult with clinical team members
Work with clients on life timelines
Work with clients on relapse prevention plans
Work with clients on parole plans
Work with clients on remorse letters
Evaluate client progress at regular intervals
Review Comprehensive Risk Assessments
Provide case management support to clients
Write a summary of the work completed to be presented to the Board of Parole Hearings
Resource library review and development
Reentry resource development
Staff support and sustainability