Summer Youth Law and Public Policy Internship with TeamChild

Position: Youth Law and Public Policy Summer Intern, Seattle Office
Time Commitment: Full-time, June 11th - August 15th
Specific Skills/Prerequisites: Must have a demonstrated commitment to working for the rights of low income or otherwise disenfranchised people, and in particular, youth. Must have excellent writing and oral advocacy skills and an interest and ability to creatively problem solve. Must be respectful and open to working with people from diverse backgrounds, committed to strengthening community and organizational partnerships, and able to work well both as a team member and independently. Sense of humor a plus. 
Application Process: To apply, send a cover letter, resume and writing sample by May 29, 2012 to the contact below.
Application Contact: Jeannie Nist, TeamChild, jeannie.nist@teamchild.org, 715 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402. Cover letters should address the following questions: Why are you interested in working with TeamChild? What interests you about this Youth Law and Policy Internship and what do you hope to gain from the internship experience? 
Additional Resources: Visit www.teamchild.org/stp to learn more.


TeamChild is a nationally recognized, innovative civil legal aid program serving low income youth. TeamChild’s clients are 12-18 years old, with a focus on youth who are involved in, or at risk for involvement in, the juvenile justice system. TeamChild attorneys provide free legal representation on youth’s civil legal rights in the community, including the right to education, mental health and medical treatment, safe living circumstances and other social services. Our advocacy for youth targets the root causes of juvenile delinquency and aims to give juvenile courts effective, community based alternatives to secure detention. TeamChild strives to inform and empower youth about their legal rights in the community and to bridge the gap between our clients, their families, and the systems that serve them. 



2012 LAW AND POLICY FOCUS:
TeamChild seeks a law student to fill a last-minute full-time position for the 2012 summer youth law and policy internship.  In 2008, 2009 and 2010, TeamChild hosted a team of local youth and law students to address the connection between school discipline practices and the juvenile justice system. This phenomenon is known nationally as the school to prison pipeline. Based on emerging legal issues identified by staff attorneys at TeamChild around the state, law interns will work collaboratively with a team of local youth to complete a concrete project to affect policy change at the local, state or national level to address school
discipline practices that feed the school to prison pipeline in Washington. Throughout the summer, interns will have the opportunity to research and analyze relevant legal issues in the context of public education, and to learn firsthand how policies and laws are developed in this field.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance (Multiple Opportunities available)

Positions: Several Available, see below
Open to: All law students
Time Commitment: Variable, see individual posting
Application Process: Variable, see individual posting
Application Deadline: Variable, see individual posting
Contact: volunteers@llaa.org

The Lifelong AIDS Alliance (LLAA) has over 1300 dedicated volunteers helping prevent the spread of HIV and supporting the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in Seattle/King County each year. Volunteers enhance people’s quality of life and allow LLAA to provide cost-effective and high-quality services. Past volunteer opportunities include: GLBTQ Youth Outreach, HIV/AIDS Bar Outreach, Admin/Front Desk Volunteer, Thrift Store Volunteer, Special Events Volunteer, Food Delivery Driver, and much more.

Click here to view the most urgent volunteer needs. Whether you are looking for one-time or ongoing volunteer opportunities, Lifelong has a variety of volunteer needs to accommodate students, groups and individuals. Join today! To get started, visit the Volunteer Programs section to view the many volunteer opportunities at Lifelong and fill out a Volunteer Application online. After your application is processed, LLAA will contact you regarding volunteer trainings and assignments.

Seattle University Youth Initiative - Citizenship Project

Position: Volunteer Teacher
Open to: All law students
Time Commitment: 1.5 hours a week, Wednesdays, 5-6:30pm at Yesler Terrace Community Center
Application Process: Send a short 1-2 paragraph statement about yourself, why you want to participate, and list any experience you have tutoring or working with people with limited English proficiency to the contact below.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, June 5
Contact: Paige Hardy, Student Coordinator, hardyp@seattleu.edu

Join other law students tutor or teach a civics class to community members who are seeking to become US citizens. This is a partnership between the law school, the Yesler Community Center, and Neighborhood House.  Classes take place at Yesler Community Center (Broadway and Yesler, 10 min walk from campus). This opportunity will allow you to meet and work with nearby members of the community, gain skills in cross-cultural and cross-difference communication, and to learn about the U.S. process of citizenship through naturalization.

Foreclosure Mediation & Outreach Project - Summer Internship

Organization Name: Foreclosure Mediation & Outreach Project (FMOP)
Position Available: Law Student Summer Intern
Open to: All law students
Time Commitment: Program will run 10 weeks, but hours are flexible. Minimum of 5 hours per week.
Compensation: This position is unpaid but it offers foreclosure mediation training, work one-on-one with a practicing attorney, the opportunity to represent actual distressed homeowners in mediation, and the chance to help to develop and execute a community outreach plan.
Location: The project is based at Seattle University and most of the trainings will occur on campus; however, the project is targeting Pierce County due to the high volume of foreclosures and disproportionate access to services. Thus, meetings with attorney mentors, client interviews, and mediations may take place in Pierce County.
Application Process: Send a cover letter and resume to the contact person below. No experience is necessary.
Application Deadline: May 21, 2012 but applications accepted on a rolling basis. Program is slated to start in early June and run through early August.
Contact Person: Michael Safren, FMOP Student Recruitment Coordinator, safrenm@seattleu.edu
 
The Foreclosure Mediation & Outreach Project (FMOP) is a collaborative project between the Access the Justice Institute and the Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic's Predatory Lending Clinic in partnership with Northwest Justice Project, Columbia Legal Services , Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association's Volunteer Legal Services and WSBA's Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project.

FMOP's mission is to raise awareness about the Foreclosure Fairness Act, identify, recruit, and educate distressed homeowners about foreclosure prevention, and train law students to represent homeowners through the mediation process.

In 2010, more than 40,000 Washington homes were foreclosed. In response, the Washington legislature passed the Foreclosure Fairness Act, which mandates mediation between the lender and homeowner prior to foreclosure in an attempt to prevent foreclosure and reach a mutually agreeable negotiated agreement.

The project will raise awareness about Washington's new Foreclosure Fairness Act which allows homeowners facing foreclosure to have the opportunity to be referred by a housing counselor or attorney to mediation with their lender to review available options to keep their home. The project’s goal is to reach, educate, and assist in representing hundreds of homeowners who are trying to navigate the foreclosure mediation process to preserve homeownership.

Summer Success: Getting the Most from your Summer Public Interest Experience Webinar, May 23

Open to: All law students
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 3-4 p.m. EDT on May 23, 2012
Application Process: Register here
Application Deadline: May 23
Contact: Kristen Pavon, PSLawNet Fellow, kpavon@nalp.org

NALP is hosting “Summer Success: Getting the Most from Your Summer Public Interest Experience” on May 23 at 3:00 PM EDT. This free webinar will give you practical tips on how to develop professionally and personally while interning at public interest offices this summer. You'll get insider advice from public interest attorneys and community leaders on how to walk away from yoursummer positions having had an invaluable experience! The wonderful Deb Ellis and Sherizaan Minwalla from the Tahirih Justice Center will be leading the webinar. 

Training: Representing Unaccompanied Alien Children, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, T and U Visas

Open to: All law students
Time Commitment: 3 hours, 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18, 2012
Location: Davis, Wright, Tremaine; 1201 3rd Ave., Ste. 2200; Seattle, WA 98101
Application Process: Email the contact below to RSVP
Application Deadline: May 18, 2012
Contact: Melissa Brown, melissa@vaij.org

This training will be presented by Jana Heyd, Society of Counsel Represent Accused Persons (SCRAP), and Juliann Bildhauer, Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice (VAIJ). This training will provide an overview of the substance and process for unaccompanied youth in deportation proceedings who may be eligible to apply for legal status in the United States through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and visas for victims of trafficking (T visas) and victims of certain crimes (U visas). 

Schedule:

1:30  - 1:35      Introduction 

1:35 - 1:55      Overview of VAIJ, Immigration Law and Statuses, Entities Involved in Immigration and the Custody of Unaccompanied Children, and Removability - Juliann Bildhauer, VAIJ

1:55 - 2:25      Special Immigrant Juvenile Status - Eligibility Requirements and Its Benefits - Juliann Bildhauer, VAIJ

2:25 - 2:35      Break

2:35  - 3:15      Washington Dependency and Procedure for SIJ   - Jana Heyd, SCRAP

                        Filing procedures for Pierce, King and Thurston Counties; Notice; Review Hearings; Extension; Termination.

3:15 - 3:30      SIJ (I-360) Petition and Adjustment of Status (I-485) Application and Interview

                        Continuing and/or Terminating Removal Proceedings; TVPRA of 2009  - Juliann Bildhauer, VAIJ

3:30 - 3:40      Break

3:40 - 4:10      T and U Visas - (brief overview)  - Juliann Bildhauer, VAIJ

4:10 - 4:20      Representing Children - Stated Interest v. Best Interest: The Role of the Attorney for the Child in Immigration Matters - Jana Heyd, SCRAP and Juliann Bildhauer, VAIJ

4:20 - 4:30      Questions and Closing Comments

CLE credit will be sought for this training and materials will be provided. To RSVP, please contact Melissa Brown at Melissa@vaij.org .

ACLU of WA Foundation Floyd and Delores Jones Legal Fellowship

Open to: Recent law graduates with judicial clerkship experience
Time Commitment: Full-time for 1 year with option for renewal
Application process: Email letter of application and resume to contact below. In subject of email, include your last name and "Legal Fellowship". In your letter, indicate where you learned of the position
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Contact: Jobs@aclu-wa.org

The ACLU of Washington Foundation seeks applicants for a one-year legal fellowship, with an option to renew for a second year, in its Legal Department. The Floyd and Delores Jones Legal Fellow will work as a staff attorney to develop federal and state cases to advance civil liberties and civil rights, work with staff and volunteer attorneys in preparing and litigating cases, and participate in a broad range of related activities. As an integral part of the ACLU-WA’s Legal Department, the Fellow will report to the Legal Director and work cooperatively with other legal, legislative, field and communications staff in a fast-paced, friendly, and professional office.

The ACLU of Washington (ACLU-WA) is among the largest of the state affiliates of the ACLU, with more than 20,000 members and a staff of 30. The ACLU-WA takes on clients and causes based on civil liberties and civil rights principles, paying particular attention to the rights of those who have historically been disenfranchised. The ACLU-WA directly litigates or participates as amicus curiae in 40-plus cases addressing free speech, racial justice, religious freedom, due process, privacy, reproductive and women's rights, immigrant rights, LGBT rights, voting rights and drug law reform. Our legal strategies are part of a multi-faceted approach to advocacy built on the belief that fighting for civil liberties and civil rights means not just persuading judges but ultimately changing the perceptions of society overall.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Investigate and litigate civil liberties and civil rights matters in federal and state courts. The

work will include legal and factual research, interviewing clients and witnesses, drafting briefs and pleadings, conducting discovery, and motion practice. The Fellow may co-counsel cases with ACLU cooperating attorneys, providing leadership, support, supervision and back-up, as the circumstances require. Engage in advocacy short of litigation, provide occasional legal analysis to advance other ACLU policy work, conduct community outreach for strategic docket development, and supervise law students. A part of this work involves building relationships with members of the private bar that encourage their involvement in ACLU work and participating in coalitions on complicated cases. Along with other professional staff members, the Fellow may occasionally represent the ACLU publicly, as assigned. Occasional work on nights and weekends, may be necessary. Along with all employees, the Fellow helps maintain a positive, respectful, welcoming, and professional work environment for employees and volunteers.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: Applicants for the fellowship will have a J.D. and litigation experience, but may

include exceptional recent law students with judicial clerkship experience. In either case,

applicants need strong project management skills, proven success in working collaboratively and under pressure. Superior writing, research and verbal skills in presenting both to lawyers and to the non-lawyer public. Successful history of working with diverse communities and clients. Strong leadership and organizational skills to work cooperatively with staff and in coalitions on complicated cases. The ability to take initiative, think strategically, and share responsibility and credit. Strong facility with computerized legal research and electronic software, including Microsoft Office suite. Fluency in Spanish is a plus. Attributes: Self-motivation, reliability and creativity, with strong problem solving skills. A strong commitment to civil liberties and civil rights issues. A commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance.

The attorney must be a member of the Washington State Bar (or willing to take the next bar

examination).

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Salary is based on experience and qualifications. Benefits include three weeks vacation to start, medical and disability insurance, matching 401(k) plan and bus pass. 

Catholic Immigration Legal Services

Position: Paralegal/Legal Internship

Open to: All Law qualified law students (see below for qualifications)
Time Commitment: 15 hours a week
Application Process: Email resume and letter of interest to contact below
Application Deadline: May 31, 2012
Contact: MicheleD@ccsww.org
 
Application Instructions: Please email your resume and letter of interest of why you want to work at CILS to: MicheleD@ccsww.org. Please no phone calls.

Volunteer Paralegals and legal interns wanted at non-profit Immigration Legal services program. For more information on Catholic Immigration Legal Services (CILS), please visit our website: www.ccsww.org\CRIS.

DUTIES:

• Call potential clients on phone to conduct 5-10 minute immigration intakes (will be trained and supervised)
• Assist legal staff with client case management: follow-up correspondence with clients; document preparation for cases
• Legal Research
• Provide paralegal and administrative support to immigration legal staff as needed: Opening mail; Data entry; Closing case files; Filing; Drafting letters to clients and agencies; Photocopying

Qualifications

REQUIRED:

• Good oral and written English communication skills.
• Strong paralegal and/or office administrative working in a law firm, non-profit, or as an administrative assistant.
• Excellent computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft word, Excel.
• Good phone and interpersonal skills and patience.
• Must be willing to volunteer at least 15 hours per week at set times and days

DESIRED:

• 
  
• Bilingual in English and other language preferred (Spanish, Russian, Somali, Farsi)
• Prefer minimum 6-month commitment for internship
• Experience working in non-profits or social service agency.
• Ability to work well with others in a team environment.
• Quick learner and ability to work independently on projects assigned.
• Ability to take initiative and ask staff if they need assistance with any projects / work.
• Experience working with multi-cultural and/or multi-lingual communities.
• Experience or sensitivity working with refugee and immigrant communities.
• Understanding of immigration and human rights issues.

SUYI Chess Program Coordinator

Organization Name:  Seattle University Youth Initiative Chess Afterschool Program
Position Available:  Student Coordinator
Open To:  All Law Students
Time Commitment:  5-10/hrs per week
Compensation:   $9.15/hour (work-study eligible preferred but not required)
Application Process:  Submit a current resume and cover letter detailing interest in the Student Coordinator position, commitment to social justice, and any applicable experience. Please email all application materials with the subject "BG Chess Club Coordinator" to Derik Campos at camposd@seattleu.edu 
Application Deadline:  6:00 p.m., Friday, May 18th
Contact Person:  Derik Campos, Chess Program Coordinator (camposd@seattleu.edu)

The Bailey Gatzert Chess Afterschool Program is looking for a Student Coordinator to begin working in mid-August 2012.

This is a law student-run program where law school student volunteers provide homework assistance and run a chess club for elementary students at nearby Bailey Gatzert Elementary (12th and Yesler).  The goal of the program is meet the needs of Bailey Gatzert families, give law students an opportunity to interact with the local community, and let elementary students have fun. 

The Bailey Gatzert Chess Afterschool Program Coordinator reports to the Access to Justice Institute.

 Please note that chess knowledge is not required. 

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

·    Overseeing the chess club to ensure growth and stability

·    Attending the chess club once a week
·    Recruiting law student volunteers to act as teachers and tutors
·    Preparing class materials such as extra homework for law student volunteers to use
·    Providing feedback to law student volunteers
·    Building relationships with new community partners
·    Strengthening existing relationships with community partners
·    Collecting data for tracking and evaluation purposes
·    Creating an end-of-year report that reflects the success of the Chess Club
·    Revising the curriculum on an as-needed basis to ensure accuracy and effectiveness
·    Planning and presenting a Social Justice Monday presentation on the Bailey Gatzert Chess Club
·    Assisting Access to Justice Institute in preparing and planning for grant applications
·    Adding to and working towards long-term Chess Club goals

Minimum Qualifications:

·         Seattle University School of Law student (rising 1L or 2L)

·         Commitment to community service/public interest work
·         Interest in early learning
·         Must be available Thursdays 3 – 5 pm Fall ’12 Semester (estimated)

Preferred Qualifications:

·         Program coordination, development, and evaluation experience

·         Experience volunteering with the Bailey Gatzert Chess Club
·         Knowledge/experience with teaching or tutoring elementary school students
·         Familiarity with the Seattle University Youth Initiative and the Bailey Gatzert neighborhood
·         Experience working with diverse immigrant populations
·         Some familiarity with chess is helpful, but not required

The Coordinator position is a paid position ranging between 5-10 hours/week.  Work-study is preferred, but not required. It is a level 1 position paid at $9.15/hour.  This position is expected to begin August 2012 and last through June 2013.

Consumer Advocacy Law Clerk at Michael D. Kinkley, P.S. Law Offices in Spokane, WA

Position: Law Clerk/Legal Assistant starting at $9.04 per hour.

Open to: All Law Students (1L, 2L, 3L).

Application Process: Please email resume, cover letter, writing sample and any written recommendations to the contact below

Application Deadline: May 18, 2012.

Contact: Scott M. Kinkley (skinkley@qwestoffice.net; (509) 484-5611).

Skills: Must be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, typing and have basic to advanced computer skills. Ability to multitask and handle constructive criticism is essential. Law students should be familiar with Westlaw and understand basic Boolean search terms.

Michael D. Kinkley, P.S.  is a two attorney law firm primarily representing low income clients in personal injury matters and for violations of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Washington Wage and Hour laws and various other consumer statutes.

           

Office management duties including: filing documents within the office, filing pleadings with the court, serving documents on opposing attorneys, initial interviews with potential clients, drafting routine letters, pleadings and other various documents, requesting medical records, answering the telephone, document preparation, typing, and being a courteous and friendly representative of the office. In addition to daily office management duties, students will work under the direct supervision of an attorney on a project by project basis and according the students ability. For example, a student may be asked to summarize medical records, review and summarize discovery responses, draft factual chronologies or perform directed Westlaw research.

Educational Benefits to be Derived from the Student in this Job: Students work closely with the attorneys and will gain an in depth understanding of the litigation process and business aspects of a small law firm. New cases and laws affecting the firm’s areas of practice are regularly examined. Students will gain familiarity with an office work environment, Time Matters © office management software, regular interaction with legal professionals, confidence and people skills.

Michael D. Kinkley, P.S.

4407 N. Division, Suite 914

Spokane, Washington 99207

(509) 484-5611 * (509) 484-5972 Fax