Legal Externship (Spring 2027)

Description

The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, nonprofit organization that serves women, girls, and all immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other violence. Our whole-person approach to services provides each survivor with free legal support and social services to secure their rights and build stable lives. We translate our client services work into expert training, outreach, and policy advocacy to ensure that systems, laws, and policies protect immigrant survivors from violence and exploitation. Our programs efficiently and effectively leverage donated professional services from a vast network of attorneys, medical professionals, and other experts to serve as many immigrant survivors as possible. By amplifying the experiences of survivors, our mission is to create a world in which all people share equal rights and live in safety and with dignity.

We specialize in the representation of immigrant survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, and other violent crimes who seek immigration relief under the Violence Against Women Act and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as well as of refugees fleeing gender-based persecution who seek protection under U.S. asylum laws. Our legal advocacy includes both direct service to individuals and broader efforts to transform policies, develop regulations, and set precedent so that systemic change will ensure the long-term protection of individuals from violence due to their gender.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the legal team’s representation of clients who are eligible for asylum, withholding of removal, relief under the Convention Against Torture, VAWA, T visas, U visas, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
• Client communication: assist the legal team with client communications and interview prospective clients.
• Preparing immigration forms: supporting legal team in compiling and completing applications for filing submission to USCIS.
• Immigration court hearing preparation: assist attorneys with preparing for court hearings at Baltimore and Hyattsville Immigration Courts, such as with compiling trial binders, preparing requests for prosecutorial discretion, drafting and preparing motions, and observing court hearings if there is availability and interest.
• Asylum interview preparation: assist attorneys with preparing for asylum interviews at Arlington Asylum Office, such as collecting and compiling supplemental evidence, preparing filing submissions, and observing mock interview sessions with clients if there is availability and interest.
• Legal writing and research: with attorney supervision, draft legal documents such as client letters, client declarations, legal memoranda, and briefs. Research country conditions for asylum, VAWA, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and/or U visa/T visa cases.
• Opportunities may arise to participate in community outreach and/or advocacy work, if the intern is interested, but this would not be a major focus of the externship.

Requirements

• Commitment to at least 15 hours per week in a hybrid environment, for an internship term of at least 10 weeks, not including school holidays
• Enrollment in accredited law school, excellent research, writing and analytical skills, commitment to or interest in public interest law.
• Enrollment in Law school externship
• Language skills, particularly Spanish, highly desired but not required.
• 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.
• Sensitivity to working with trauma survivors.
• Previous experience in Immigration law, domestic violence or criminal law is helpful but not required.

All candidates must be able to commit 15 hours per week and confirm that they are seeking school credit (externship credit).

To apply: Please submit the following materials: your resume, three references, and cover letter explaining your interest in this position, why you wish to work with immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, and confirm that you will be seeking school credit. Resumes without cover letters will not be considered.

Please note: All externs must pass a background check and complete an in-depth on-boarding on working with survivors of violence, learning Legal Server, and other subsequent trainings.

Work Authorization: Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

Tahirih Justice Center is committed to equal opportunity and promotes equity and transparency as core values. Tahirih practices inclusiveness in decision making through the use of consultation with employees throughout the organization. Tahirih does not discriminate against any person on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, ability, gender, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Applicants committed to equity from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities are encouraged to apply. Applicants with questions or concerns should reach out to the Director of People & Operations at HR@tahirih.org. Information about filing a charge of discrimination at the EEOC is available at https://www.eeoc.gov/ .