Disability Rights Advocates Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

CDEL POLICY INTERN

Description

The Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL) provides free legal services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities. CDEL's clients-individuals often marginalized by age, disability and poverty-may have difficulty accessing the legal system. CDEL strives to provide access to the legal system to help our clients to assert their legal rights and live better lives.

CDEL's organizational structure consists of a modest in-house staff which supports a network of hundreds of volunteer attorneys, students and paralegals. CDEL staff and its volunteers provide legal representation in a wide range of civil practice areas including guardianship, simple estate planning, landlord/tenant, consumer debt and fraud, and real estate.

Position

Center for Disability & Elder Law | Hybrid Policy Intern

The Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL) hosts Policy Interns during the academic year. For Fall 2026, the Policy Intern will participate in a primarily hybrid internship opportunity, consisting of both remote and in-person work. CDEL will provide training and supervision throughout the internship experience.

This opportunity is ideal for graduate and undergraduate students pursuing studies in public policy, public administration, social work, political science, disability studies, or related fields. Students with a strong interest in advocacy, systems change, and public interest work are encouraged to apply.

Policy Interns may have opportunities to participate in CDEL policy-focused initiatives, outreach events, and workshops that advance policy priorities for older adults and people with disabilities.

Compensation

The Policy Internship is unpaid. However, students may be eligible to receive academic credit through their institution, and there may be funding opportunities available through universities or external agencies. CDEL will work with students and academic advisors to support internship requirements and credit arrangements.

Responsibilities

Policy Interns will support CDEL's advocacy, research, and coalition engagement efforts under the supervision of CDEL's Policy & Advocacy Manager, and other staff members. One of the strengths of CDEL is the opportunity to engage directly with community members, stakeholders, and advocates while contributing to initiatives that address systemic barriers affecting older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Interns may participate in:

Policy research and analysis

Legislative and regulatory tracking

Community needs assessments

Stakeholder engagement and coalition-supporting activities

Development of policy briefs, reports, and advocacy materials

Legislative outreach and educational initiatives

Data collection and program evaluation projects

Support for public awareness campaigns and strategic initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

Students interested in elder policy, disability policy, housing policy, social justice, public interest advocacy, and systems-level change are especially encouraged to apply. As many CDEL clients and community partners have intersecting identities and some have limited English proficiency, applicants who are bilingual or multilingual are encouraged to apply.

CDEL is an equal opportunity employer and a welcoming community that engages, encourages and empowers those who are members of underrepresented communities. CDEL is a dedicated advocate for our clients who hold many diverse identities and experiences across race, color, sex, age, religion, class, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge, source of income, housing status and gender identity. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized and underrepresented communities to apply for this position.

Work Environment CDEL's offices are located in the loop but we are a community-based organization and hold outreaches, workshops and clinics in the communities where our clients live. We work a hybrid work setting working at the office, from home and in the community.

CDEL is an equal opportunity employer. We are a welcoming community that engages, encourages and empowers those who are members of underrepresented communities. We are a dedicated advocate for our clients who hold many diverse identities and experiences, across race, color, sex, age, religion, class, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military discharge, source of income, housing status and gender identity. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized and underrepresented communities to apply for this position. We also encourage you to read our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement available on our website.