Legal Advocacy Interns

Each summer, VAAP seeks to host one to two highly motivated upper class law or equivalent graduate students to join us for a ten week summer internship program focused on asylum seeker legal orientation, community education and capacity building, and limited scope humanitarian legal representation. In addition, VAAP considers hosting legal or equivalent externs during the fall or spring academic semesters. Full-time interns work about 35 hours per week and part-time interns work about 18 hours per week. Positions are hybrid-remote with some in-person work required, and include access to coworking space in Burlington's Old North End for value-added team meetings, supervision, legal services, and community events. 

 Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Complete orientation and training assignments in a timely manner and engage meaningfully in individualized and team-based mechanisms for supervision and support.

2. Interview potential clients to assess for asylum and other humanitarian status eligibility, assist with placing viable cases with language accessible volunteer representation, and make referrals as appropriate.

3. Counsel and co-counsel at pro-se assistance clinics and on selected limited- or full-representation humanitarian status cases including by interviewing and counseling clients; developing case theory and legal briefing; preparing and submitting filings and supporting evidence; and accompanying clients to their immigration proceedings.

4. Maintain client and program files, records, and other data as required in the case management system, including maintaining accurate and contemporaneous timekeeping for all work activities.

5. Communicate with clients, volunteers, partner providers, social service officials, and other stakeholders in a professional and accessible manner and in accordance with applicable professional and program rules.

6. Produce detailed case and project transfer memoranda upon completing the summer program. 

7. Assist VAAP staff to develop and share resources that volunteer advocates and community members need to ensure their professional, trauma-informed, and competent VAAP client assistance.

8. Assist VAAP staff to develop and deliver access to justice programming including Know Your Rights legal orientation for current and prospective clients; Continuing Legal Education for current and prospective volunteers; the VAAP Resource Library; and other events and advocacy as they arise.

9. Other duties as assigned. 

 Qualifications 

1. Upper class student in a J.D. or equivalent degree program, having completed at least three semesters of law school and at least one other J.D. program clinic, internship, or externship program or equivalent.

2. Willing and able to provide for your own funding or to assist VAAP in pursuing funding to support your internship work, or ability to receive academic credit.

3. Experience and/or commitment to working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds in ways that are trauma informed.

4. Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to produce professional legal documents and outreach materials.

5. Commitment to working in a collaborative, virtual, team-based setting.

6. Ability and willingness to work autonomously and independently as required by VAAP’s busy work load and hybrid remote work environment.

7. High level of initiative and ability to project plan, make decisions, solve problems, and to pivot plans quickly and creatively, as needed. 

8. Demonstrable organizational skills in managing a dynamic and complex workload.

9. Previous immigration advocacy experience preferred.

10. Professional proficiency in Spanish, French or other non-English language required.

11. People with lived experience or impacted identities prioritized.

Application instructions

To apply, please email your resume or CV, cover letter, and three (3) professional references to info@vaapvt.org.