Legal Internship, Immigration Impact LAB

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (Amica Center)•Washington, DC

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Legal Intern will support Amica Center for Immigrant Rights’ Immigration Impact Lab, its appellate and federal litigation project. The Lab brings appeals and federal district court actions intended to improve laws affecting the wider immigrant community. The intern will assist staff with representing immigrants before the Board of Immigration Appeals and U.S. Courts of Appeals, and with class actions, amicus briefs, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) complaints, and habeas petitions in federal courts. The internship is for Spring 2027 and requires a commitment of at least 15 hours per week for 14 weeks, beginning on or about January 4, 2027, with a flexible start date. The internship is unpaid. Amica Center can assist students seeking academic credit, and a limited number of small scholarship stipends are available through a separate application. The internship may be fully remote, with no in-person work requirement. Interns who can access Washington, D.C., may have opportunities for in-office work, in-person meetings, and events. Interns may also have the opportunity to observe court in person. Applicants must be second- or third-year students at a U.S. ABA-accredited law school; evening students are welcome. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The application deadline is November 27, 2027.

Requirements

Be a second- or third-year student at a U.S. ABA-accredited law school; evening students may apply.
Commit to at least 15 hours per week for 14 weeks.
Demonstrate strong legal research, communication, and writing skills.
Demonstrate strong organizational and time-management skills and willingness to work quickly and effectively with a team.
Have experience and interest in immigration law, immigrants’ rights, or related fields such as social justice and advocacy.
Be competent and comfortable working with adults and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, including people with histories of trauma and previous interactions with the criminal justice system.
Have access to a laptop or computer, reliable internet, and a phone; Amica Center may be able to provide access to a temporary laptop as needed.

Nice To Haves

Background in community organizing or political lobbying.
Spanish fluency; fluency in French, Portuguese, Arabic, or other languages is also welcome.

Responsibilities

Assist with appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal circuit courts involving asylum and the Convention Against Torture, crimmigration, and immigration detention.
Assess new referrals, conduct legal research, write memoranda, and contribute to amicus and merits briefing.
Assist with drafting habeas petitions to seek the release of adults from immigration detention and prepare habeas cases for placement with pro bono partners.
Conduct legal research, interview clients in detention by phone, collect evidence, draft petitions, and collaborate with community advocacy groups on habeas matters.
Assist with new and ongoing FOIA litigation, including drafting FOIA requests and complaints, researching FOIA exemptions, and tracking and analyzing FOIA productions.
Help develop website resources, conduct trainings, and draft practice advisories for attorneys working with immigrants in detention.
Work on crimmigration case analyses for criminal defense attorneys in Virginia and Maryland and develop public resources available on the website and by request.