AALDEF 2020 SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

By on January 18th, 2020

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education. For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website.

AALDEF attorneys work in the following program areas:

  • Immigrant Justice Project – litigation, legal services, and organizing/outreach with communities affected by post 9/11 immigration and law enforcement policies. An additional emphasis on Asian communities’ access to representation and education about immigration policies and practices that may impact them, including deferred action policies for undocumented youth and nonimmigrant and immigrant humanitarian visa status for other immigrants, unconstitutional DHS stops, and collaboration between state/local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. **Law students ONLY**
  • Voting Rights – legal research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection Clause challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, produce reports and organize public forums, assist in organizing election protection volunteers, legal trainings and follow up for the 2018 election. **Law students ONLY**
  • Economic Justice – litigation, research, and organizing around issues affecting low-income communities. Work will happen through collaborations with worker centers, and through partnerships with nonprofits like the National Domestic Workers’ Alliance (NDWA), where interns will assist with the gig worker clinic, and the Model Alliance (MA) worker social responsibility initiatives and Freelance Isn’t Free Act enforcement. Any interested applicant will also get experience in coalition work and legislative drafting, especially with the DIRECT coalition that is seeking to pass a law similar to AB5 in New York. **Law students ONLY**
  • Administrative Assistant – Responsibilities include data entry, organizing press clippings, answering phones, doing mailings, assisting with fundraising and other events, and performing general clerical duties. Other responsibilities include providing support for community education and outreach projects and acting as an interpreter/translator. Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs is helpful. **Undergraduate students ONLY. Workstudy grants accepted.**

Description of Summer Internship Program: The summer program is ten weeks, from May 26 through July 31, 2020. Interns work full-time and are supervised by attorneys in specific program areas. Depending on what work needs to be done in each of the program areas, interns will work on litigation, legal and policy advocacy, community outreach and education, or client intakes; each program area differs in emphasis. Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding. Academic credit can be arranged.

To Apply:

  • Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to be received by AALDEF on or before Friday, February 7, 2020 at the address below. Please indicate in your cover letter the preferred program areas. Only law students qualify for AALDEF’s legal internships. Applications may be faxed or emailed.
  • Any bilingual ability should be stated in the application. Bilingual ability is helpful but not required. Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, and Urdu-speaking skills are a plus.
  • Applications will be reviewed upon receipt until the February 7, 2020 deadline. Interviewing will take place on a rolling basis. Students are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible, as decisions are made on a rolling basis. Only applicants with interviews will be notified of their advancement in the application process.

 

Summer Internship Search  

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

99 Hudson Street, 12th floor

New York, New York 10013-2815

For more information, contact us via email. 

Categorized under: 1L Info, 2L Info, Diversity, General Announcements, Public Interest Opportunities, Resources, Summer Opportunities, Uncategorized.
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