Legal Internship, Immigration Impact LAB

Overview

This internship is with the Immigration Impact Lab, a legal appellate and federal litigation project supporting cases that address attacks on immigrants’ rights through appeals and federal district court actions.

The legal intern will assist staff attorneys with representation and litigation in matters involving immigrant children and adults facing detention and deportation, including work connected to asylum/Convention Against Torture, the intersection of criminal and immigration law (“crimmigration”), immigration detention, and related federal court proceedings.

Internship Term and Schedule

• Application cycle: Spring 2027
• Commitment: at least 15 hours per week for 14 weeks
• Start date: starting on or about January 4, 2027 (start date is flexible)

Responsibilities

Appeals (Board of Immigration Appeals and U.S. Courts of Appeal)

• Assist with appeals related to asylum/Convention Against Torture, crimmigration, and immigration detention
• Support tasks may include:
  • Assessing new referrals
  • Conducting legal research
  • Writing memoranda
  • Contributing to amicus and merits briefing

Habeas Petitions

• Assist with drafting habeas petitions to secure the release of immigrant adults from detention
• Assist with habeas cases for placement with pro bono partners
• Support may include:
  • Legal research
  • Phone interviews with clients in detention
  • Evidence collection
  • Drafting petitions
  • Collaboration with community advocacy groups

FOIA Litigation

• Assist with new and ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation
• Support may include:
  • Drafting FOIA requests and complaints
  • Researching applicability of FOIA exemptions
  • Tracking and analyzing FOIA production

Resources, Trainings, and Practice Advisories

• Help develop lab website resources, conduct trainings, and draft practice advisories
• Support may include:
  • Assisting with crimmigration case analyses to support criminal defense attorneys in Virginia and Maryland
  • Developing public-facing resources for attorneys working with immigrants in detention (available via website and by request)

Work Location

• To keep internships accessible, all Spring 2027 internships may be remote.
• There is no requirement to conduct in-person work during the internship.
• Interns may have the opportunity to observe court in person if desired.
• For interns physically accessible to Washington, D.C., there may be opportunities for in-office work, in-person meetings, and events with staff and fellow interns.

Qualifications

• Second- or third-year law student at a U.S. ABA-accredited law school (evening students welcome)
• Ability to commit a minimum of 15 hours a week
• Strong legal research, communication, and writing skills
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; willingness to work quickly and effectively with a team
• Experience and interest in immigration law, immigrants’ rights, or related fields such as social justice and advocacy
• Comfort and competency working with adults and children from low socio-economic backgrounds, including individuals with histories of trauma and prior interactions with the criminal justice system

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in community organizing/political lobbying (plus, not required)
• Spanish fluency (preferred but not required); fluency in other languages such as French, Portuguese, or Arabic is welcome

Required Resources

• Laptop or computer
• Reliable internet
• Phone
• The organization may be able to provide access to a temporary laptop as needed.

Compensation & Benefits

• Unpaid internship
• Internship credit: assistance may be available
• Limited number of small scholarship stipends available by separate application

Application Process

Applicants from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. If relevant, discuss in the application how your background motivates your interest in this position or affects your career goals.

To be considered, submit the application and attach the following materials in .pdf format:

• Cover letter (interest in the position; describe what experiences—personal and professional—motivated the application)
• Resume
• At least two references
• Writing sample (in addition to legal memoranda and briefs, research papers and articles are accepted; only one writing sample required and preferred)

Applicants should apply to ONLY ONE department within the organization.

• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Interviews may be scheduled and offers given before the deadline.

Deadline

• Deadline to apply: November 27, 2027