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Refugee and Immigrant Program Internships

About the Internship:

The Refugee and Immigrant Program welcomes undergraduate, graduate and law school students to assist with client intake, translation, research and administration.  Past and current interns have answered our client hotline and provided referrals as well as initial intake screening, assisted with client interviews and case administration, conducted country condition and legal research,  translated documents, and in limited cases assisted with application preparation to support clients' asylum claims. Spanish speakers who are available on Tuesdays & Thursdays have the opportunity to assist in our detained representation work. 

Intern tasks include:

  • Answering the client phone hotline, providing referrals, conducting phone intakes for potential asylum clients, and communicating with current clients;
  • Writing case summaries, including country conditions information;
  • Drafting letters to clients and attorneys;
  • Administrative duties such as filing, copying, mailing;
  • Legal and human rights conditions research;
  • Support for special events.

Desired qualifications/experience/interests:

  • Attention to detail;
  • Strong writing abilities;
  • Ability to work both independently and with a group;
  • Interest in refugees, immigrants and other new arrivals to Minnesota;
  • Sensitivity to diverse cultures;
  • Fluency in English;
  • Proficiency in a second language, most commonly used are: Spanish, French, Amharic, Somali;
  • Experience or familiarity with immigration law (preferred for law students).

Time commitment:

 

For fall and spring internship: 8-15 hours per week for a total of 3-4 months 

For summer internship: 20-40 hours per week for a total of 8-10 weeks

Minimum commitment of 160 hours for most internships (excepting January term or August)

 

Refugee & Immigrant Program internships are conducted entirely during business hours (8:30 - 5, M - F); we do not have off-site or weekend internship opportunities for this program.

Due to the nature of the internship, we generally ask that interns be able to commit a 3 - 4 hour block of time in either the morning or afternoon for fall and spring semester internships.

 

Deadlines

Fall internship applications should be submitted by August 15th.

Winter Break (December - January) and Spring internships should be submitted by December 15th.

Summer internship applications should be submitted no later than March 15th; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. 

 

Learn more about the Refugee and Immigrant Program.

Internship and Fellowship Application Form