Job Description
The ACLU-DC seeks undergraduate students for a paralegal internship in the spring of 2021 starting on approximately February 15 and running until April 23. The paralegal intern will be expected to commit approximately 12 – 15 hours a week. This is a paid position for at $15/hour. Applicants should note that this will be a remote-work position in light of the on-going coronavirus pandemic and a stipend is available for technology-related expenses.
The ACLU-DC is an affiliate office of the American Civil Liberties Union, a national nonprofit organization devoted to the protection of civil liberties and civil rights through litigation, legislation, and public education. The ACLU-DC works primarily on issues that directly impact people who live in, work in, and visit the District of Columbia, and also on challenges to certain federal government policies and practices where they fall within the jurisdiction of the D.C. federal courts.
Among the matters currently on our legal docket are: representing Black Lives Matter-DC and individual activists in challenging the attack by federal and local law enforcement on civil rights demonstrators in Lafayette Square on June 1; two lawsuits against the District of Columbia over inadequate protections for detainee health at the D.C. Jail and a psychiatric hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic; a challenge to the D.C. Department of Public Works’ failure to provide a reasonable accommodation for an employee who uses medical marijuana off duty to treat a disabling medical condition; and defending on appeal an injunction we won against new rules implemented by the administrative arm of the federal judiciary that would prohibit more than 1,000 federal employees from expressing their views publicly about partisan candidates for office. To learn more about our work, visit acludc.org/cases.
NATURE OF INTERNSHIP
As paralegal intern, you will be a part of the legal department’s intake team, which processes, investigates, and responds to requests for legal help that we receive. Your duties will include, among other things, interviewing people who ask us for help, conducting internet-based research to obtain and verify facts, and attending strategy meetings to develop next steps for advocacy. Through this internship, you should expect to build your investigatory skill set, which includes but is not limited to interviewing skills, critical thinking skills to determine what kinds of information may be relevant, and writing skills so that you can convey what you have learned in a condensed summary that focuses on important and relevant facts. ACLU-DC staff believe strongly in mentorship and in thorough and timely feedback on all work product.
Depending on the state of our docket in spring 2021, paralegal interns are likely to have additional opportunities to observe the work of the ACLU-DC’s Legal Department, including telephonic court proceedings and video calls, Legal Department strategy meetings, with other ACLU-DC departments as a part of our integrated advocacy strategy.
Qualifications
-You are currently in an undergraduate program in any field of study and have an interest in public service and civil rights and liberties.
-You have excellent work ethic, including dependability, diligence, the ability to take ownership over projects, and the commitment to see projects through to completion in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
-You are receptive to feedback, enthusiastic about learning and self-improvement, and eager to incorporate feedback into future work.
-You have writing skills that allow you to effectively and concisely convey information to others while including relevant facts and analysis.
-You have the interpersonal skills necessary to connect with, listen to, learn from, and ask questions of others. Key to these skills is actively and respectfully listening to others.
Additional Information
The deadline for applying is 11:59PM EASTERN TIME ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2021. If you have a disability/ies and need a reasonable accommodation regarding any part of the application process, please contact us. To complete the application, you will need to upload:
1. A copy of your resume that lists relevant experience.
2. A statement of interest of no more than 600 words that addresses the following three topics:
a. What civil rights/liberties issue do you feel is most pressing right now and why?
b. How do your skills and experiences make you a good fit for this position?
c. Describe a specific example of when you took ownership (or responsibility) of a project or assignment. What did it mean to you to take ownership? What was the end result?
3. A list of three references, including a sentence about each one identifying what information the person can provide.