Internship Court Observer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Description

The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights fights for the rights, safety, and unity of immigrant communities, standing with those trapped in our nation's fundamentally flawed immigration system. We engage in unwavering legal defense and strategic litigation for immigrant children and adults facing detention and deportation in the Capital Region and beyond, because everyone has the right to be free, safe, and supported.

We are seeking a 2L or 3L law student with a passion for immigrants' rights, litigation, and public interest law for a Fall internship with our Immigration Impact Lab. The Immigration Impact Lab is Amica Center's appellate and federal litigation project. Through the Lab, Amica Center responds to attacks on immigrants' rights by bringing appeals and federal district court actions with the potential to improve laws applicable to the wider immigrant community. The Legal Intern will assist our staff with representing immigrants in appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the U.S. Courts of Appeal. The Legal Intern will also assist our staff with class action cases, amicus briefs, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) complaints, and habeas petitions in federal district courts and U.S. Courts of Appeal.

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2026. Our Fall Internship Program requires a commitment of at least 15 hours a week for 13 weeks, starting on or about August 31, 2026.

Internships are?unpaid; however,?Amica Center can?assist students seeking internship credit. There is also a limited number of small scholarship stipends available by separate application. More information on our scholarship fund and the application instructions is available here: https://amicacenter.org/join-the-fight/careers-internships/

Remote Work:

To keep our internships accessible to all students regardless of geographic location, all Fall 2026 internships may be remote. We encourage applicants from local law schools and those from outside the D.C. area to apply. There is no requirement that interns conduct any in-person work during their internships, but interns may have the opportunity to observe court in person if they would like to do so. For interns physically accessible to Washington, D.C., there will be opportunities for in-office work, in-person meetings, and events with staff and fellow interns.

General Responsibilities:

Appeals 

The Legal Intern may assist with all aspects of our ongoing appeals at the BIA and federal circuit courts related to asylum/Convention Against Torture, the intersection of criminal and immigration law ("crimmigration"), and immigration detention, including assessing new referrals, conducting legal research, writing memoranda, and contributing to amicus and merits briefing. 

Habeas Petitions 

The Legal Intern may assist with drafting habeas petitions to secure the release of immigrant adults from detention, as well as preparing habeas cases for placement with pro bono partners. This assistance may include legal research, phone interviews with clients in detention, evidence collection, drafting of petitions, and collaboration with community advocacy groups.  

FOIA Litigation 

The Legal Intern may assist with new and ongoing litigation under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This assistance may include drafting FOIA requests and complaints, researching applicability of FOIA exemptions, and tracking/analyzing FOIA production. 

Resources, Trainings, and Practice Advisories  

The Legal Intern may help the Lab develop its website resources, conduct trainings, and draft practice advisories to support and educate attorneys who work with immigrants in detention. This may include working on crimmigration case analyses to assist criminal defense attorneys in Virginia and Maryland and developing our public resources that are available on our website and by request. 

Qualifications: 

• A second or third-year law student at a U.S. ABA-accredited law school. Evening students are also welcome to apply 
• Ability to commit a minimum of 15 hours a week
• Strong legal research, communication, and writing skills
• Strong organizational and time-management skills and willingness to work quickly and effectively with a team
• Experience and interest in working in immigration law, immigrants' rights, or related fields like social justice and advocacy 
• Competency and comfort in working with adults and children from low socio-economic backgrounds, with histories of trauma and previous interactions with the criminal justice system
• Background in community organizing/political lobbying is a plus but not required
• Spanish fluency is preferred but not required. Fluency in other languages, such as French, Portuguese, or Arabic, is welcome

Required Resources:

• A laptop or computer 
• Reliable internet
• A phone

*Amica Center may be able to provide access to a temporary laptop as needed.

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

Applicants from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. If relevant, please discuss in your application how your background motivates your interest in this position or otherwise affects your career goals.  

To be considered for the internship, please fill out the application link below and attach the following materials in .pdf format:  

• A cover letter indicating your interest in the position. Please describe what experiences, personal and professional, have motivated you to apply.
• A resume;
• At least two references; and
• A writing sample. In addition to legal memoranda and briefs, research papers and articles are accepted. Only one writing sample is required and preferred.

Please apply to ONLY ONE department within Amica Center. For example, if you apply for this internship with the Immigration Impact Lab, please do not apply for an internship with the Detained Adult Program. Please choose the department that best matches your preference, skills, and experience.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interviews may be scheduled and offers given before the deadline, so please apply as soon as you are able.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: July 31, 2026.

For any questions specific to the Lab internship position, please reach out to Immigration Impact Lab Senior Attorney, Amelia Dagen at amelia(at)amicacenter(dot)org.

Requirements

See above.