Legal - Immigration Internship (MD & VA)

Title: Legal Undergraduate Internship – Immigration Team (IMM) 

Internship Description: The Legal – Immigration Team undergraduate intern will assist with attorneys’ active caseloads of immigration cases before US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Immigration Court.  The undergraduate internship will include opportunities to work on legal projects, such as: substantiative research and writing, translating documents, assisting with client meetings, and conducting outreach to the community. The undergraduate intern will also have administrative duties, such as scanning, copying documents, shredding documents, mailing out documents, correspondence to clients, reminding clients of appointments and any other support needed for the team. 

The fall internship lasts 12 – 14 weeks from late August/early September up till early/mid-December. We have 2 interns spot available within our Legal Department – Immigration Team for our Fall 2024 cohort at our Silver Spring, MD office and 1 intern spot available with said team at our Fairfax, VA office.. Preference given to undergraduate interns with strong verbal and written communication skills and can join in person at our MD or VA office as well as having bilingual abilities in a language spoken by the individuals we support. 

Department/Individuals Assisting: Ayuda’s Legal Department – Immigration Team (MD or VA) 

Responsible to: Interns will be assigned to an Ayuda attorney who will serve as their primary supervisor over the course of their internship. 

Responsibilities:  

• Translating legal and background documents
• Preparing immigration forms
• Observing and assisting client meetings
• Interns may have the opportunity to observe hearings, but such is not guaranteed
• Administrative duties

Position Qualifications:  

• Required:
  • Currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate program
  • Must work well independently and together with a team of attorneys, paralegals, and social service professionals.
  • Must be detail-oriented, well-organized, responsible, personable, and comfortable working with diverse populations from a variety of backgrounds.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
  • Results oriented with the ability to meet self-imposed deadlines.
  • Be receptive to feedback and willing to make necessary changes or adjustments to your work.
  • Based in the DMV region. Able to report to assigned office (MD) multiple times a month.
• Preferred:
  • Proficiency in a second language, preferably Spanish but also including French, Portuguese, Amharic, Tagalog, Dari as other languages spoken by our clients
  • Previous experience in immigration, domestic violence, family law, or criminal law
  • Previous experience working with immigrant communities, victims of crime, and/or LGBTQIA* community is highly desired.
  • Technical experience in any of the following: LegalServer, SharePoint

Commitment: We are looking for fall interns who can dedicate up to 32 hours per week for 12-14 weeks to provide programmatic support. The internship would begin in late August/early September and wrap up by mid-December. The exact start and end dates are flexible. Interns generally work 2 - 3 days per week with at least 1 day in the office. 

Compensation: This is an unpaid internship perfect for undergraduate students looking to gain professional work experience within the field of law in a very supportive environment committed to having a positive impact. We will work with your institution or university to ensure that you are able to receive academic credit or third-party funding for the internship if applicable. 

Technology Needed: We will provide the intern with a laptop, and they will need to have access to reliable internet connection on remote days for video conferences and email communication. 

Application: Please apply with a one-page letter of interest addressed to Ayuda and a current one-page resume. Applications can be emailed to legalinternships@ayuda.com. Due to the heavy volume of applications received, we ask applicants to refrain from contacting us about applications status as all applicants will either be contacted for an interview request or upon the completion of our recruitment.  

Ayuda values an inclusive, diverse workplace and does not unlawfully discriminate on any basis prohibited by law. Ayuda is also committed to equal employment opportunity. Employment decisions are made consistent with both Ayuda's organizational values and the law, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status. We also strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities we serve.