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Summer internship application deadline is March 15, 2025, though applications may be considered on a rolling basis.
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC’s team of 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.
Summary
NIJC seeks summer interns for both law students and undergraduate students interested in gaining hands-on experience with immigration law. Our internships are ideal for individuals passionate about working with immigrant populations and eager to contribute to meaningful legal work. Interns will assist with various tasks related to immigration benefit applications, client interactions, and legal research.
ALL APPLICANTS MUST HAVE THEIR OWN FUNDING OR EARN CLASS CREDIT FOR THIS INTERNSHIP.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
For Law Students:
- Conduct legal intakes and communicate directly with clients to gather information for their immigration cases.
- Complete in-depth research on legal issues relating to asylum, family-based petitions, victim-based protection, adjust of status and DACA.
- Assist clients in completing immigration benefit applications, including filling out USCIS forms and collecting required supporting documents
- Draft written declarations with clients to support their immigrations cases
- Gain valuable legal writing experience by drafting court motions, legal briefs, and legal memos
- Participate in client meetings and work closely with supervising attorneys to prepare cases for submission.
For Undergraduate Students:
- Assist with client interview to gather necessary information for immigration applications
- Help prepare and organize immigration benefit applications, ensuring all required documentation is submitted
- Complete document translations for clients as needed
- Assist with administrative tasks and special projects, contributing to the efficient operations of the office.
Qualifications
For Law Students: Must be currently enrolled in a law school program with a strong interest in immigration law.
For Undergraduate Students: Must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program with an interest in social justice, law, or immigration issues.
- Strong attention to detail, ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
- Bilingual candidates, especially in Spanish are strongly encouraged to apply
Physical Abilities Statement
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time
- The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
- Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.
It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.
NIJC Project Descriptions
Immigrant Legal Defense Project
Law school interns and undergraduate interns will work with clients to complete immigration applications for family-based or protection-based relief, including adjustment of status, family petitions, U visa, VAWA self-petitions, TPS, DACA, naturalization, and applications for relief in removal proceedings. Law students and undergraduates may also assist with pro se workshops helping individuals prepare pro se applications for relief before the immigration court. Undergraduates further support our pro bono projects and community-based work in Chicago.
Asylum Program
Law school interns will work directly with clients seeking asylum before the Chicago Immigration Court. They will draft legal briefs and memos, conduct legal research, and prepare client affidavits. Undergraduate interns will assist with prospective client interviews, country conditions research, document translation, client database management, and other special projects as needed. This is a hybrid position, requiring both remote and in-person work in the Chicago office.
Policy/Litigation (Law School Students Only)
Because litigation and policy advocacy frequently overlap, law student interns typically work jointly with the litigation and policy teams. This position can be fully remote
- Federal Litigation: Interns with the litigation team conduct legal research, write legal memos, and work with clients who have pending (or soon to be pending) federal-court matters. Client-facing work includes writing declarations and interviewing clients primarily. Legal writing experience includes memos and potential court documents like motions. Because the litigation team also helps litigation project clients with their agency level cases, interns could also be assigned to work on a litigation client's USCIS or EOIR case.
- Policy: Interns will support NIJC’s DC-based Policy Team in advancing legislative, regulatory, and executive branch advocacy projects that advance the rights of immigrant communities. Projects generally will include supporting legal research and writing, participating in coalition meetings, and analyzing policy developments. NIJC’s Policy Team’s advocacy priorities are decarcerating and decriminalization in the immigration context and access to asylum.
Children’s Protection Project (Undergraduate Students Only)
Undergraduate interns will assist with providing legal services to detained unaccompanied children and unaccompanied children who have been released from ORR custody. Services include KYR presentations and legal screenings, client referrals, database management, administrative support, country conditions research, and other special projects as needed. This is a hybrid position, requiring some in-person work at the Chicago office and in ORR facilities. Interns selected for this position will need to undergo background checks.
Detention Project
Law school interns work directly with clients and assist with intakes of potential clients, drafting of affidavits and legal briefs, country conditions research, and preparing a wide range of applications for relief including asylum, cancellation of removal, visas for victims of crime or trafficking and others. Law students are also able to appear in court under attorney supervision. Undergraduate interns will assist with prospective client interviews, country conditions research, document translation, client database management, and other special projects as needed. This is a hybrid position, requiring both remote and in-person work in the Chicago office.
Counter-Trafficking Program
The intern will work directly with trafficking survivors in completing applications for T visas and adjustment of status. This may include screening clients for eligibility, drafting client affidavits, filing out USCIS forms, gathering country condition and secondary sources to support filings, communicating with clients, and other tasks as assigned. Law student interns will also have the opportunity to conduct research related to client cases and draft legal arguments demonstrating a client’s eligibility for relief. Spanish proficiency required. This is a hybrid position, requiring both remote and in-person work in the Chicago office.
LGBTQ Project
Law school interns and undergraduate interns will work directly with clients on a variety of matters before USCIS and the Chicago Immigration Court and may have the opportunity to observe a hearing. Potential projects include conducting intakes, preparing client affidavits, country conditions research, document translation, and database management. Law students may also conduct legal research, draft legal briefs and memos, and may have the opportunity to appear in court. This position can be remote or hybrid, based out of NIJC's Chicago Loop office.
Non-Detained Kids Project
Law school interns and undergraduate interns conduct projects including: conducting legal screenings for children and their parents/custodians, conducting legal research to support asylum claims and/or protections for unaccompanied children, and interviewing clients for the purpose of drafting declarations. The intern may have the opportunity to assist with USCIS filings and draft legal memos for immigration court. This is a hybrid position requiring some in-person work at the Chicago office.