Looking to join a dynamic team for the summer? The Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA), a project of the American Bar Association (ABA), seeks a hardworking legal intern ready to learn more about children’s immigration law to join the team this summer.
The internship is a 10-week, full-time internship. CILA’s office is located in the Heights neighborhood of Houston, Texas. The internship will be hybrid/in-person—with some of the working week in the office and other time working remotely.
About You
– Hardworking law student
– Passionate about immigration law
– Embodies CILA’s 4 C’s: Courage, Competency, Compassion, and Creativity
Qualifications:
– Applicants should have an interest in immigration law and/or working on behalf of children.
– Applicants should have strong research and writing skills.
– Spanish language is not required.
– CILA encourages and supports students who are seeking fellowships or course credit during their internship.
About the Internship
Training program that will train the legal intern to:
– Understand the sources of immigration law and policy including working with unaccompanied children, removal proceedings, asylum, and special immigrant juvenile status;
– Enhance both oral and written presentation skills;
– Learn practical trial skills for immigration court;
– Learn practical lawyering skills including research, assessing legal options, and counseling clients; and
– Connect with the immigration legal community in Houston and across Texas.
Projects and Opportunities:
Legal Research and Writing (50%): The legal intern would spend about half of their time assisting staff attorneys with research requests that come in from advocates working with immigrant children. Additionally, the legal intern will be responsible for one to two independent research projects to be completed over the course of the summer under the supervision of a CILA attorney. The completed project(s) will be used to create original resources for advocates and shared on CILA’s website and in CILA’s newsletter.
Collaboration with Advocates (20%): The legal intern will have the opportunity to participate in two to four working groups, depending on their scheduled time with CILA.
Training (20%): The legal intern will have the opportunity to participate in trainings designed to empower advocates to better meet the legal needs of unaccompanied children as scheduled over the summer.
Systemic Advocacy (10%): Through its unique lens as a legal resource center, CILA identifies systemic trends and legal barriers to permanency in the United States for children facing deportation. The legal intern will have the opportunity to conduct legal research and help collect and analyze data that CILA collects to identify these trends and share with community stakeholders including the ABA.
To apply, please send your resume, a writing sample, and cover letter to: cila@abacila.org between February 1, 2023 and March 1, 2023. CILA will set up interviews on a rolling basis.
