International Institute of the East Bay A Resource for Immigrants and Refugees since 1919

Legal Department Internship Program

Position: Law Clerk (volunteer)

Ideal position for a law student considering future work with immigrants

Description of Organization

The International Institute of the East Bay, founded in 1919, provides legal and social services for immigrant and refugee communities in the Bay Area, principally those in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The Institute’s mission is to act as a resource for immigrants and refugees; enabling them to achieve self-sufficiency; and to promote mutual appreciation and understanding within the community.

The Institute’s Legal Department provides high-quality assistance to low-income immigrants. The program currently provides information and services to over 1,500 people each year from Latin America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. Services include workshops and one-on-one consultations, assistance in filing family petitions and citizenship applications, and aiding battered immigrant women obtain legal status under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act.

Job description

Law clerks can provide any or all of the following support to the legal staff, depending on interest, ability, and time commitment. Applicants that wish to take on more complex tasks should consider making a greater time commitment. Note that all law clerks are required to assist with administrative work if necessary (but not exceeding 15% of their time).

• Assist with intake and assessment of new clients applying for services from the Institute
• Assist in document gathering and preparation of evidence
• Assist with preparation of petitions and filings
• Conduct research on questions of law and procedure

• Assist clients in drafting declarations and preparing evidence for filings
• Assist with document translation if possesses sufficient language skills
• Assist with interpretation of client meetings if possesses sufficient language skills
• Serve as volunteer or paid interpreter at US Immigration Service interviews if possesses sufficient language skills

• Under supervision of a legal specialist, law clerks can be responsible for staffing one or two sessions per week of the bi-weekly legal clinic offered to all members of the public for a free, short consultation on immigration law problems. The law clerk would be the first point of contact for people that come to the clinic, and (1) help identify the legal issues involved in the client’s problems, (2) provide the client with information about the law, the client’s rights and options to the extent possible, (3) conduct preliminary research if necessary to detail questions and possible avenues for further research, and (4) make recommendations to the Legal Department on whether to accept applications for further services with the Institute. Clinic hours are Tuesday 11AM to 1PM, and Thursday 4-6PM.

• Law clerks may assist in coordinating the Deportation Defense Clinic of the Institute to conduct intake, screening and assessment of case for immigrants facing deportation;
• Under supervision of a legal specialist, law clerks may take primary responsibility for client cases for applications to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (formerly INS), such as a family reunification, domestic violence, naturalization, or other case, if they can demonstrate adequate skills, time, and commitment
• Law clerks may assist in the preparation of applications in Immigration Court to defend immigrants against deportation;
• Participate in advocacy projects, including media work, policy analysis and research, participate in work with coalitions of other immigrant rights organizations, and work with individual immigrants to empower them to present their story to the press and the public, and to assist in an advocacy strategy to influence decisions on a particular immigrant client’s legal (and non-legal) case

• Assist with other tasks and projects as necessary
• Assist with daily administrative tasks associated with maintaining a legal office as necessary (not more than 10-15% of time) Please note this is required for ALL law clerks.

Requirements:

• Current enrollment in second or third year of law school
• Good people skills and sensitivity to social and cultural dynamics
• Good analytical, writing and research skills
• Strong commitment or interest in public interest law and social justice
• Fluent in Spanish and English, strongly preferred
• Previous office experience required
• Previous experience in legal office and immigration preferred, but not required

Time Commitment Required

• For Fall and Spring semesters: Minimum 7.5 hours per week for 10 weeks (or equivalent); suggested 15 - 22.5 hours per week
• For Summer: 37.5 hours per week for 10 weeks (or equivalent)

Additional information

Law clerks will be given training on the U.S. immigration system and law, law and procedure on the specific type of cases they will be working on, how to work with clients, legal research, and other topics.

To apply:

Please send an application to:

Susan Bowyer

Managing Attorney

International Institute of the East Bay

449 15^th Street, Suite 201

Oakland, CA 94612

Your application should include:

1. Cover letter, stating
1. Your interest, skills and experience, including:
2. Which assignments/tasks listed in the Job Description section you are interested in
3. How your skills and experience meet each of the requirements listed above for the position
4. An estimate of the time commitment you can make, and the specific days and times you are available
5. Preferred start and end dates
2. Resume