2027 Summer Intern - Immigrants' Rights Project

Public Counsel•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

The Immigrants’ Rights Project (IRP) at Public Counsel is an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, social workers, and advocates that provides holistic services to underserved immigrant communities, including immigrant children, detained immigrants, asylum seekers, and survivors of serious crime and human trafficking. We also engage in strategic litigation and policy advocacy to uplift and defend the rights of immigrants. Our summer interns may gain hands-on experience in both direct service and policy advocacy. Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Requirements

Must be in your first or second year of law school.
Submit a cover letter, resume, and a writing sample, all in PDF form (and a transcript, if available).
Resume must reflect the law school you are currently enrolled in.
In your cover letter, identify which team(s) you would like to work with.
Discuss why you are interested in interning with Public Counsel generally and with IRP specifically.
Consider addressing lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings in your cover letter, especially if not reflected in your resume.

Nice To Haves

Applications from historically underrepresented students are especially encouraged.
Lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings are valued.

Responsibilities

Provide holistic services to underserved immigrant communities, including immigrant children, detained immigrants, asylum seekers, and survivors of serious crime and human trafficking.
Engage in strategic litigation and policy advocacy to uplift and defend the rights of immigrants.
Represent individuals and families seeking asylum before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), local Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Engage in policy advocacy and community education to protect the rights of asylum seekers.
Serve immigrant survivors of serious crime and human trafficking in their applications for humanitarian immigration relief, including the U Visa, T Visa, protection under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and lawful permanent residence.
Address social service needs of clients, such as access to housing, public benefits, and mental health resources.
Engage in coalition building to promote policies and practices that best serve immigrant survivors and engage in community education to promote the rights of immigrants.
Represent children who have come without parents to the United States, defending them from deportation and representing them in immigration court, state court, and before the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).
Empower children by assessing their non-legal needs and helping them access essential services, including education and health care.
Provide representation to individuals in detention and upon release in their removal and bond proceedings.
Fight for the collective liberation of people harmed by U.S. immigration detention and deportation machines through client-centered legal advocacy.
Engage in strategic litigation and local, state and national policy advocacy to promote the rights of immigrants.
Conduct client interviews and identify forms of immigration relief, with a focus on Asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U Visa, T Visa, and VAWA.
Assist attorneys on preparing applications for relief, conducting research on legal issues, appearing in court, and helping to draft advocacy materials.
Conduct community outreach and education.
Engage in policy advocacy and litigation to promote and defend the rights of immigrants.