Intern, Reentry Justice Project (Summer 2027)

National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 5,800 - 7,100; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Scholarship funding

Job summary

Legal Aid DC is seeking a Summer Intern to join the Reentry Justice Project for Summer 2027. The internship runs for 10 weeks, from May 27 through August 6, 2027, at 40 hours per week, primarily in the NW DC office with some remote work possible with supervisor approval.

Interns will gain substantive assignments impacting clients, including record-sealing work, client interviews, and drafting motions, while engaging in project meetings and workshops.

Qualifications

• Summer law students are required to apply for outside funding to fund their internships.
• Legal Aid will provide scholarship funding to summer interns if criteria are met.
• Candidate must be enrolled in a summer law program.

Responsibilities

• Conduct criminal case searches for record sealing applicants.
• Interview clients to learn their story and develop facts for motions to seal.
• Assist attorneys in obtaining clients' police and court records.
• Draft motions to seal criminal records under supervision.
• Attend Reentry project meetings and related workshops.

Job description

Position Description

Legal Aid DC, a nonprofit organization with an approximately $18 million annual budget and a staff of approximately 130 employees, is seeking a Summer Intern to join our Reentry Justice Project.

Since 1932, Legal Aid has provided civil legal assistance to clients in individual cases and engaged in systemic reform. Currently, we provide individual representation in consumer law, domestic violence/family law, housing, public benefits, and immigration matters. We also help people with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic impact and appellate litigation. Legal Aid also administers the DC Resource Bridge, a single access point for legal services in the District.

Legal Aid believes that meaningful pursuit of our anti-poverty mission requires an unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity. We aspire both to reflect the rich racial diversity of the communities we serve and to value, respect, and empower our staff and clients to be effective agents of change. For more information about Legal Aid please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org.

Our work is supported through public and private grants and private fundraising from individuals, law firms, and other contributors.

Interns at Legal Aid DC have the unique opportunity to receive substantive assignments that will have an immediate impact on our clients. This internship is for Summer 2027 and will be 10 weeks in duration. Summer interns should expect to work full-time (40 hours per week). Interns mainly work out of Legal Aid’s NW DC office, with the option to perform some work remotely if approved by their supervisor. Summer interns may be required to perform duties off site, and will be required to travel locally for summer programming events.

The summer term is from May 27th through August 6th.

Legal Aid DC’s Reentry Justice Project is dedicated to assisting clients facing barriers in accessing housing, employment, and other civil rights and opportunities as a result of having a criminal record. We provide representation to clients in areas including criminal record sealing, housing and employment denials based on criminal history, and challenges to other collateral consequences arising within our civil legal practice areas. We also advocate for policy changes before the D.C. Council, administrative agencies, and other legislative and regulatory bodies.

Responsibilities

• Conduct criminal case searches for record sealing applicants to determine the extent of their record and to assess what is eligible for sealing relief.


• Under the guidance of supervisors, meet with and interview clients to learn their story and develop the necessary facts for motions to seal their criminal records.


• Assist attorneys in requesting and obtaining clients' police and court records.


• Under the guidance of supervisors, draft motions to seal criminal records.


• Attend Reentry project meetings, skills workshops, Legal Aid staff meetings.

Scholarship Funding

Legal Aid DC can provide scholarship funding to ensure that summer law students receive no less than $6,440 per summer, including scholarships from the Lee Horton Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Public Interest Lawyers.

Required

• Summer law students are required to apply for outside funding to fund their internships in order to receive supplemental scholarship funding.


• We will provide a scholarship of up to $6,440 to summer law school interns when:


• They attend a school that does not provide funding OR they are not approved for at least $6,440 of funding from their schools


• AND


• They do not get funding from any other outside sources that gets them to total funding of $6,440 for the summer


• Example: if a student receives $5,000 of outside funding, Legal Aid will pay them $1,440 in scholarship funding.


• Students may waive funding if they are prohibited from receiving renumeration by their law school.