The Refugee Representation team at Human Rights First is offering Legal internship to university students. Moreover, the team will work with indigent asylum seekers in need of quality legal representation in their asylum cases. The program also advocates for legal reform and policy change on issues affecting asylum seekers in the United States. Interns will be based in our New York office. All internships are unpaid, though externship credit may be available through students’ law schools. Interns must be currently in law school.

What will a Refugee Representation Legal Intern do at Human Rights First

The Refugee Representation Legal Intern will have his/her hands full with responsibilities which include:

• Conduct screenings and intake interviews with potential asylum clients;
• Write and edit detailed factual and legal reports with extensive country conditions documentation and legal analysis;
• Conduct issue-spotting to evaluate whether each individual meets the legal definition of a refugee (training is provided for those with no experience in the asylum or refugee issues);
• Travel to area immigration detention centers to assist with intake interviews of potential asylum clients, as needed;
• Assist Human Rights First attorneys in drafting affidavits, briefs, and other legal documents for asylum seekers;
• Complete immigration forms for Human Rights First’s direct representation clients, including family reunification petitions and green card applications when needed;
• Assist staff with legal research, preparation for training, meetings, and special projects, particularly those of interest to the intern;
• Participate in various NGO and government liaison meetings with the Department of Homeland Security;
• Help with the process of identifying, analyzing, and responding to legal or procedural changes that affect asylum seekers, including statutory changes, proposed regulations, and decisions from federal courts or the Board of Immigration Appeals;
• Assist staff with written and oral correspondence with existing clients, potential clients, interpreters, and others involved in the process of case screening, acceptance, and placement with law firms;
• Provide interpretation services on an occasional basis if fully fluent in a relevant second language.

What do you need for Refugee Representation Legal Internship?

• Demonstrated interest in human rights, asylum, and immigration issues (experience in asylum and immigration issues preferred, but not required);
• Excellent writing and editing skills;
• Excellent communication skills as well as research abilities;
• Fluency in a second language, preferably Arabic, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Haitian Creole, or Russian, preferred, but not required;
• Ability to handle several tasks at once while working independently or as a member of a team;
• Compassion, empathy, and a sense of humor.
• Applicants must be law students enrolled in U.S.-based institutions and will be attending classes in the semester of or following their internship.

How to apply for a Refugee Representation Legal Internship?

To apply for a Refugee Representation Legal Internship at Human Rights First, at first, you will need to find the position that you want to work at Human Rights First. Internship positions will require you to meet the minimum eligibility. Also, it will state the desired criteria to secure the internship. So, to become a Refugee Representation Legal Intern at Human Rights First, you must meet these requirements as these internships are highly competitive.

Here is a step by step guide on how to apply for a Human Rights First Internship:

Step 1: Assess your need for an internship. Also, be sure that your university has a provision for the internship.

Step 2: Go to the careers site and check for the available internship position at Human Rights First, which in this case Refugee Representation Legal Internship.

Step 3: Check for the details, and see if you meet the Human Rights First requirements for internship for the desired position.

Step 4: Apply directly from the site, once you are sure that you meet the internship requirements.

Step 5: Fill out details and provide a recent CV and other relevant documentation while making an online application.

Step 6: Double-Check your application and be sure that everything is in order. Submit your application and wait for the callback.

Deadline

Human Rights First will accept the application for the Refugee Representation Legal Internship until 16 August 2019. Applications arriving after the deadline are not eligible for the internship.