Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. Law Clerk Program
LSGMI relies on assistance from law students to fulfill its mission to serve the low-income community of Miami-Dade County. Working at LSGMI during law school gives an immediate, hands-on experience with the clients they serve and the cases they handle. You will not be limited to doing legal research. Law student positions can be paid or volunteer, part-time or full-time. Law students frequently complete externships at LSGMI for school credit.
Description of available law clerk positions are listed below. For all law clerk positions, LSGMI seeks students with a commitment to and passion for the rights of low-income clients. Bilingual capability (Spanish or Haitian Creole) is desired but not required. If you are interested in a law clerk position, please complete the law clerk application which can be picked up at the CDO.
The Housing Unit has two projects: the Tenants’ Rights Project, which provides legal representation for tenants living primarily in public and federally subsidized housing, and the Homeownership Project, which includes the Mortgage Foreclosure Defense Project and the Predatory Lending Project.
The Employment and Economic Security (EES) Unit provides advice and representation in many areas of law, including the denial, reduction and termination of public benefits (including food stamps and Medicaid) and unemployment compensation. In addition, the EES Unit houses the following projects: the AIDS Legal Advocacy Project, the Homeless Legal Assistance Project, the Renters Education and Advocacy Legal Line, the Connect Familias Little Havana Community Partnership Legal Project, the Community Tax Clinic, the Special Education Advocacy Project, the Transitioning Foster Youth Project, and the Military Legal Advocacy Project.
Both the Housing and EES Unit practice in state and federal court, in administrative proceedings, and in appellate courts. A law clerk’s duties may include any combination of the following:
- interviewing clients in person and by telephone;
- conducting factual investigations including visiting apartments and taking photographs;
- performing legal research;
- writing legal memoranda;
- drafting pleadings and discovery motions;
- reviewing documents;
- preparing for and observing administrative and court hearings;
- participating in after-hours legal clinics; and
- participating in after-hours community education events.