Legal Intern/Extern (U.S. Legal Services)

International Refugee Assistance Project • New York, NY

5d • Remote

About The Position

The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) seeks two law students to work as summer interns or externs with its U.S. Legal Services Department. The internship is remote, with a possible option to work from IRAP’s New York City office. This is a full-time, 10-week commitment beginning June 7, 2027, and ending August 13, 2027. Onboarding days are scheduled for June 7–9, 2027, in IRAP’s New York office. Applicants who can only work part-time or cannot begin on the stated date are still encouraged to apply. Internship and externship candidates will be considered equally. Interns may be paid $17 per hour, or the applicable state minimum wage, for 40 hours per week; IRAP asks interns to first pursue public-interest funding from their law schools. Externs may receive academic credit and are not compensated. Interns must have U.S. work authorization; externs may apply regardless of work authorization status.

The role supports IRAP’s work with forcibly displaced people and their family members seeking safe passage to the United States. Work may include direct representation, intake and client interviews, legal research and writing, outreach, public education, legal clinics, and development of resources for staff and legal aid practitioners. Applicants must be rising second- or third-year students enrolled in a U.S. J.D. program. IRAP encourages applications from people with lived experience in the communities it serves and from individuals whose identities are underrepresented in the legal profession. IRAP is an equal-opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable Fair Chance laws.

Requirements

• Be a rising 2L or 3L enrolled in a J.D. program in the United States.
• Have strong research, writing, and analytical skills.
• Have strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to client empowerment and to working with clients of all backgrounds, including LGBTI clients, trauma survivors, and other vulnerable populations.
• Show initiative to see projects through and the ability to multitask.
• Be proficient in Google Workspace.
• Have excellent English communication skills.
• Have a strong interest in refugee processing, immigration law, and human rights.
• Internship applicants must have U.S. work authorization; this requirement does not apply to externship applicants.
• Submit a one-page cover letter, a one- to two-page resume, a brief legal writing sample of no more than 10 pages that has not been heavily edited by others, and a list of two to three professional references.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to speak Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Somali, Pashto, Kurdish, or Spanish.
• Relevant life or work experience to describe in the cover letter.
• Lived experience in communities served by IRAP or membership in other marginalized communities or identities underrepresented in the legal profession.

Responsibilities

• Support direct representation of forcibly displaced people and family members seeking safe passage to the United States by drafting memos and briefs, conducting fact-finding, and interviewing clients.
• Conduct intake interviews and identify client needs for direct services.
• Participate in discrete special projects, including remote legal clinics.
• Conduct outreach to affected communities, prepare legal information materials, and participate in public education efforts.
• Draft and update legal practitioner guides, analyze changes in law and newly released government documents, and create materials to assist IRAP staff and legal aid practitioners.

Benefits

• Paid interns are compensated $17 per hour or the applicable state minimum wage, for 40 hours per week; interns are encouraged to pursue public-interest funding from their law schools first.
• Externs may receive academic credit, coordinated with their school; externships are non-compensated.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern