NY Children’s Legal Services - Fall 2026
SCOPE OF WORK: The Children’s Legal Services (CLS) program in New York provides legal representation to unaccompanied children. To be eligible for services, unaccompanied children must be under the age of 18 at the time they enter the CLS program, have no immigration status, and, at same time, have been officially designated as an unaccompanied child by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). We help them understand the immigration systems, prepare them for hearings, evaluate and advise them on the types of immigration applications they can file, and assist them with preparing their filings. Many cases will also involve hearings in NY state court, and we provide preparation and representation for those hearings as well.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Support in building and fostering relationships with our young clients by
participating in client meetings.
• Provide administrative support to the Children’s Legal Services team, including
checking for upcoming court hearings, communicating regularly with clients,
preparing applications, drafting supporting documents, and support in filing with
appropriate agencies.
• Perform research on immigration issues, country conditions, etc.
• Partake in online immigration law trainings and webinars.
• Assist in tapping into other IRC NY programs to get additional support for clients when needed, such as educational resources, etc.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Intern will gain exposure and understand various immigration processes and
reliefs available to unaccompanied children.
2. Intern will gain an understanding of a trauma-informed, client centered approach and the special considerations when working with children in a legal setting.
3. Intern will gain exposure to NY family court and procedures.
4. Intern will learn how to manage client cases within established deadlines.
5. Intern will develop problem solving skills, client services skills, and intercultural social work skills.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Must be enrolled in and have completed 1L at an ABA-accredited law school.
• Proficiency in Spanish is strongly preferred.
• Must have a demonstrated passion for working with children and/or low-to-
moderate income immigrant populations (including refugees, asylum seekers, etc.).
• Must be motivated, flexible, able to manage time effectively, and able to work independently as well as within a dynamic team.
• Must successfully complete IRC orientation and full background check (Live Scan & HireRight)