U.S. Protection - Legal Internship

U.S. PROTECTION AND SOLUTIONS UNIT – VOLUNTEER LEGAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency's Regional Representation in Washington, DC, seeks a volunteer Legal Intern to assist staff in its U.S. Protection and Solutions Unit. For a description of the unit’s work, please see http://www.unhcr.org Note that this is an unpaid internship for law students (J.D. or LL.M).

U.S. Protection and Solutions Unit – Protection Internship

Duties and Responsibilities may include:

• Provide information on the US asylum process and UNHCR’s role to asylum seekers and/or their attorneys;

• Monitor and analyze proposed legislation and regulations affecting refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless individuals;

• Draft internal memoranda on US policy and practice and compliance with international refugee and human rights law;

• Assist with preparations for UNHCR monitoring missions;

• Attend and report on conferences, seminars and Congressional hearings addressing refugee and asylum issues;

• Assist with preparations for training activities in the US and Caribbean;

• Assist in the preparation of amicus briefs before the Board of Immigration Appeals, US Circuit  Courts  of Appeals, and the US Supreme Court (as needed).

Qualifications and Experience:

• Excellent oral & written communication skills. Strong legal analysis skills.

• Understanding of U.S. immigration and asylum law;

• Course work in U.S. immigration law, refugee law, or international human rights law or equivalent experience in U.S. asylum or international human rights practice (preferred).

• Ability to multi-task and prioritize with minimal supervision. Attention to detail required.

• Fluency in English required; fluency in French or Spanish (preferred).

Duration: 

Both full-time (40 hours/week) and part-time (minimum 20 hours/week) internships are available, for a minimum of ten weeks.

Applications: 

Applications must be complete or they will not be considered. Please send resume, cover letter, a brief writing sample (2-3  pages), and dates of availability to the US Protection and Solutions Unit Intern Coordinator, UNHCR, 1800 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 500, Washington,  D.C. 20036, Fax:  202-296-5660, Email: [email protected]. Note in the subject line “U.S. PROTECTION AND SOLUTIONS UNIT – LEGAL INTERNSHIP” and include the semester/year for which the internship is desired.

Application deadlines can be found on our website: www.unhcr.org. Please note that applications  are reviewed on a rolling basis, and decisions may be reached prior to the application deadline. As such, interested applicants are encouraged to submit their materials in advance of the deadline.

UNHCR thanks all applicants. UNHCR will only contact those applicants who will be interviewed.