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Church World Service Legal Intern

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION- Church World Service (CWS) is a not-for-profit, international humanitarian assistance organization comprised of 37 member national church communions. CWS Immigration and Refugee Program (CWS/IRP) provides assistance to displaced persons abroad and works with the State Department and 34 community organizations across the United States to resettle refugees fleeing persecution. CWS/IRP’s New York City office provides low cost immigration legal services to the immigrants in the tri-state area seeking: legal advice, to apply for a green card or citizenship, or to help a family member immigrate to the US.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY - CWS/IRP in New York City seeks an intern to promote awareness of immigration legal issues and to help increase its name recognition in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx. The intern will distribute CWS/IRP materials, will identify, coordinate, and host immigration related educational workshops, and will represent CWS/IRP at local community events. CWS/IRP attorneys will supervise and train the intern. A stipend of $300 per month will be provided to cover unreimbursed expenses.

REQUIREMENTS - Qualified applicants will be a Junior or Senior or Masters student from a local undergraduate college or university and will speak Spanish. They must desire to learn how to work with immigrant communities, demonstrate an ability to speak confidently in public, and be a self-starter. A positive attitude and commitment to ensuring immigrant access to justice is a must. Knowledge of NYC’s immigrant community is desired.

COMMITMENT – The intern will commit to two full days per week for eight weeks. One of these days can be on the weekend. The intern will be in the CWS/IRP’s office for half a day scheduling immigration related educational workshops with local nonprofit organizations and identifying material distribution routes based on community needs. A half a day will be devoted to conducting workshops. A full day will be devoted to distributing CWS/IRP’s promotional materials to communities in northern Manhattan and the Bronx.

REWARDING EXPERIENCE – From this experience, the intern will gain public speaking and leadership skills. The intern will learn how to develop an educational campaign, to promote immigration justice, to connect the working poor and indigent to affordable legal services, and to work with people from different cultures and countries. Spanish speaking and writing skills will also improve as a result of this experience. In addition, the Staff Attorney will teach the intern the basics of immigration law and the benefits of becoming a US citizen.

How to apply:

APPLICATION PROCESS- To apply, email a resume and cover letter to: hrcws@churchworldservice.org by July 20, 2012. Formal interviews will be conducted.