Safe Passages - Immigration Legal Intern (Lawrence-Funded Internship)

Safe Passages
 

Safe Passage Project provides free legal services to over 1,600 immigrant youth in New York City and on Long Island. Free legal services are critical because there is no right to free representation in immigration courts. Having a lawyer can increase the odds of success from approximately 15% to over 80%.
Our staff attorneys directly represent clients as well as mentor pro bono volunteer attorneys who take on cases with Safe Passage Project. The most common forms of relief we seek for our clients are Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and asylum. We regularly practice before the NYC Immigration Courts, NY Family Courts, NY and NJ Asylum Offices, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
 

About the Role:
College interns are an important and exciting addition to our diverse team of lawyers, paralegals, and social workers. Interns will be assigned to work with either one or two staff members, who will provide them with direct supervision. Interns will have regular check-in meetings and will have two designated feedback sessions with their supervisors. This is a remote internship; however, there are opportunities for in-person work, if desired. We will offer a comprehensive virtual orientation at the beginning of the summer and weekly virtual brown bag lunches with staff. Interns will work with clients in removal proceedings and seeking immigration benefits, such as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, asylum, adjustment of status, and naturalization.
Responsibilities Interns receive hands-on experience with a variety of tasks. These tasks may include but are not limited to: client communications, interpretation at client meetings, translation of documents between Spanish and English, participating in virtual legal screenings, assisting with maintenance of our electronic file database, and observing Immigration Court and Family Court appearances.
 

Qualifications:

 ● Enrolled in college or recently graduated from college. 

● Fluent in Spanish. 

● Open to giving and receiving feedback. 

● Able to meet deadlines and communicate clearly with their supervisor(s). 

● Able to work both independently and as part of a team. 

● An understanding of how to work with vulnerable populations using trauma-centered practices or a willingness to learn and incorporate such practices in their work. 

General Information:
● Start date: Monday, June 1, 2026.
● Required virtual orientation on June 1 and June 2.
● Full-time (35/hours a week) commitment of at least eight weeks, with the option to intern up to ten weeks.

Safe Passage Project is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Compensation:
This internship is part of the Lawrence-Funded internship program. The student selected for this internship will receive a $5k stipend to help cover housing and transportation costs and living expenses. For additional details and to see other Lawrence-Funded opportunities, please visit this webpage. 

Before applying, you must meet with a Career Center staff Ty Collins for a resume review, or your resume must achieve green status in VMOCK.  If your resume does not meet professional expectations, you may be asked to resubmit your resume.  Please make an appointment with the Career Center here on Handshake.

• Once your resume is approved, you will then apply directly in Handshake by March 27th, 2026.

Please ask Michelle Buchinger for more details about how funding works Michelle.m.buchinger@lawrence.edu