DCVLP is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide high-quality, free legal and support services to low-income victims of domestic violence, at-risk children, and other vulnerable individuals in the District of Columbia. Founded in 2008, we broaden our impact by training and supporting hundreds of attorneys to provide pro-bono representation to indigent and vulnerable individuals. The attorneys of the organization provide pro-bono legal representation to individuals such as: survivors of domestic violence; children in high-conflict custody cases; and survivors of gender-based violence in immigration matters.
•UNDERGRADUATE LEGAL INTERNSHIP IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND
*Currently accepting applications for Spring 2025
DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) opened its first office outside of the District of Columbia in Montgomery County, Maryland, in January 2023. Operating from the Family Justice Center in Rockville, Md., the office offers legal services to low-income survivors of domestic violence in the community. DCVLP is searching for current college students or recent graduates to join our dedicated staff of lawyers and administrators for a part-time fall semester internship in Rockville, Md., beginning in January 2025 and ending in April or May 2025. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work directly with lawyers and contribute to helping low-income residents in Montgomery County, Maryland with their legal needs.
INTERNSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Attend court hearings virtually and in person at Montgomery County District Court and provide legal and administrative support to the supervising and volunteer attorneys.
- Assist in the case administration of Domestic Violence matters, including court document management.
- Support the operation of our weekly remote and in-person Domestic Violence Clinic.
- Any additional projects as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Minimum commitment of 12-15 hours per week.
- Availability to attend our weekly legal clinic at Rockville Library from 12-4pm every Wednesday.
- Availability to travel to and from DCVLP’s Rockville office, legal clinics, and Montgomery County District Court (a DCVLP-funded SmarTrip card is provided, if needed, for travel on Metrorail and Metrobus).
- Keen attention to detail and strong organizational, computer, and writing skills.
- Positive attitude and ability to deal with sensitive issues.
The stipend for this internship is $500, which will be paid in two installments of $250 (installments are paid during the first and last week of the internship). Students not legally authorized to work in the U.S. can participate in this internship without receiving the stipend. DCVLP can also assist in obtaining academic credit if provided with the required documents.
To APPLY: Spanish-speakers and those with an interest in law school are strongly encouraged to apply. If you are interested in applying for this exciting opportunity, please email your cover letter and resume by Friday, October 25, 2024, to Gargie Nagarkar at GNagarkar@dcvlp.org. Please note that applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
•LAW STUDENT INTERN PROGRAM
DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) hosts law school students or recent law school graduates as full- or part-time interns in Washington, D.C. If you are interested in joining our dedicated staff and working at an established legal non-profit, this could be the internship for you! In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside lawyers and other professionals to contribute to helping low-income residents in Washington, D.C. with their legal needs. The duties and responsibilities of the internship vary from term to term, depending on DCVLP’s current needs and capacities.
Students may pick whether they want to work solely with the immigration practice, solely in the domestic violence practice, or both. During the duration of their internship, the student may be able to assist with the following kinds of projects:
INTERNSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Drafting legal memos
- Conducting legal research
- Drafting pleadings
- Outlining briefs for asylum cases
- Preparing work permit applications, including direct client representation
- Creating pro se materials for clients
- Drafting country conditions reports to submit as part of an asylum application
- Creating materials to train volunteer attorneys when representing U visa, SIJS, or VAWA clients
- Gathering client information in a legal clinic setting
This internship opportunity is paid. This opportunity requires a 15-20 hours per week commitment or can be full time. The student would be required to be in-person, in-office every other Tuesday and every other Thursday (alternating weeks) 9:00am – 5:00pm and have the option to work the rest of the time remotely. The student would have the opportunity to attend staff trainings, family law and immigration team meetings, and observe client meetings and/or trial. Students with Spanish proficiency highly preferred, all are encouraged to apply.
TO APPLY: Please email your cover letter and resume to Daniela Huerta Garcia and Aida Vindell (dhuertagarcia@dcvlp.org and avindell@dcvlp.org). Please note that applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
