Student Internships

2024/2025 Fall and winter Internship Program

GBLS is offering a variety of legal internships for the fall and winter terms. Due to budgetary constraints, all positions described here are unfunded (unless otherwise noted). Therefore, we are currently seeking interns who can secure full outside funding or are willing to work on a for-credit basis. Many former interns have successfully obtained their own funding by combining work-study and public interest grants. Students should inquire about public interest funding sources at their law school. Another available funding source is the Equal Justice America Fellowships https://equaljusticeamerica.org/fellowships/law-student-fellowships).

Interested students should submit a resume and cover letter to the Human Resources Team via email at GBLSInternships@gbls.org. When applying, please reference the "2024/2025 Fall and Winter Internship Program." Undergraduates are welcome to apply unless specified otherwise that the unit exclusively accepts law students.

Asian Outreach Center

Using a movement lawyering model, the Asian Outreach Center (Asian Outreach) at Greater Boston Legal Services is the primary hub for Asian Americans in Massachusetts to address legal needs and build community power. Asian Outreach uses a creative multi-faceted and community-based approach to fight structural racism and mobilize Asian Americans. Deeply embedded in the community, Asian Outreach offers community-based intake. We also support statewide and regional Asian American networks, community organizing, and legislative advocacy while also dedicating significant time to direct services and litigation to resolve community needs.

Asian Outreach represents individuals and groups in cases involving immigration, housing, deportation, workers’ rights, access to public benefits, and anti-Asian violence. In collaboration with community organizers, our major projects currently include representing Southeast Asian refugees and immigrants to stop deportations; representing tenants fighting displacement in Chinatown and Dorchester; educating nail salon workers of their rights; creating greater language access for Asian immigrants in areas such as voting, education, and public housing; strengthening access to services for under-resourced small businesses to support community stabilization; and upholding undocumented immigrants’ rights. We recognize that empowering people and communities is critical to building effective cross-cultural and multiracial social justice movements.

Asian Outreach internships expose law students and undergraduate students to the wide range of legal issues faced by Asian immigrant communities and train interns in poverty law and civil legal aid. Student interns assist and participate in community-based outreach and intake, client interviews, legal representation, and development of

community resources and educational materials. Interns also conduct research and writing on a broad range of subject matters. Cantonese, Vietnamese, Khmer, or Mandarin language ability is a plus.

Cambridge and Somerville Office

(ONLY ACCEPTING LAW STUDENTS)

We are seeking law students to work at the Cambridge & Somerville Legal Services’ office (CASLS) of GBLS. Students will have the opportunity to engage in all aspects of case handling including interviewing clients, conducting legal and factual research, legal writing, negotiations, and oral advocacy (e.g. representing clients at administrative and/or court hearings where warranted). In addition, students will have the opportunity for legal research and other assignments on systemic reform projects. The casework focuses on housing (e.g. evictions, denial or termination of subsidized housing), state and federal government benefits, poverty law-based elder issues, and mental health/disability rights issues for adults and children.

Consumer Rights Unit

(ONLY ACCEPTING LAW STUDENTS)

GBLS’s Consumer Rights Unit focuses on foreclosure prevention, debt collection, coerced debt, bankruptcy and other consumer issues. We have a Debt Collection Lawyer for the Day Project where we represent consumers in debt collection cases in the small claims sessions of the Roxbury, East Boston and Chelsea District Courts. Students who are certified under Rule 3:03 can represent clients in Clerk-Magistrate hearings. We also engage in individual representation of homeowner's facing foreclosure; affirmative litigation for consumers with fair debt collection claims; impact litigation; legislative and community advocacy; and outreach and education to consumers in low-income communities, particularly communities of color. Interns will assist in intake, lawyer for the day, screening cases, reviewing documents, doing factual investigations on cases, undertaking legal research and writing assignments, assisting in drafting pleadings and educational materials, and involvement in legislative and community activities.

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) & Re-entry Project

(ONLY ACCEPTING LAW STUDENTS)

Black lives matter. Mass incarceration and racially-disparate involvement of African-Americans in the criminal justice system are the new Jim Crow. In general, work is the

pathway to a better life and out of poverty, but past criminal records stop countless people from getting jobs, housing, and access to other opportunities. We focus on people from communities of color, particularly in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan in overcoming barriers to housing, employment, licensing, and other opportunities caused by their criminal record histories. We need law students to do client intakes, draft legal documents, perform legal research, represent clients in court on sealing cases if 3:03 certified and/or assist in the courtroom, staff CORI help tables in Roxbury & Dorchester courts. We also need help working on legislative campaigns with various community coalitions to change criminal and other laws that perpetuate racism and poverty. Interns and fellows also help us with community outreach events, appeals and systemic law reform projects. We also work on clemency, “driving while Black” and juvenile justice issues. Work-Study funding is also available for Northeastern University Law School students.

Development Department

GBLS’ Development Department seeks an undergraduate or graduate student intern to work with our professional fundraising and communications team for the 2024-2025 school year. The position will primarily support activities and development efforts associated with GBLS’ exciting 125th anniversary in 2025. The intern will participate in a variety of resource development, communications, and marketing activities, including research and data analysis, event planning and logistics, communications and content creation, and more. In addition, the intern will have the opportunity to engage with a broad cross-section of the GBLS community, including administrative and executive staff, legal advocates, current and former clients, board members, donors, and other constituents. This is not a legal internship; this is an opportunity to learn and support nonprofit administration and development.

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Elder, Health and Disability Unit

Elder: Opportunities to help clients with a wide range of legal issues. Opportunities to work with clients facing evictions, or discharge from a nursing home. Further opportunities to represent clients facing denial or termination of health and income benefits in hearings conducted by various state and federal agencies, such as the Office of Medicaid and Department of Transitional Assistance. Students will interview clients, carry out legal and factual research to develop the record, and will also work with individuals and community groups on issues such as elder abuse and improving quality of life for elders. Legal work will be both individual case work, as well as opportunities to participate in systemic impact work such as legislative and administrative advocacy.

Health & Disability: Opportunities to represent individuals who have disability claims pending at the Social Security, Office of Hearing Operations and review, as well as to represent clients facing denial or termination of health care coverage by Office of Medicaid. Students will interview clients, develop record for administrative hearing and appear at the hearing(in some instances); will also represent individuals and some community groups on access to health care issues; identify uninsured individuals facing tax penalties under Health Care Reform and help them access public health care programs; deal with administrative agencies such as the Office of Medicaid and the Connector, as well as legal research and writing; work on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Massachusetts. Fluency in a foreign language (especially Spanish) is a plus.

Children's Disability Project (CDP): The CDP represents children (under age 18) with disabilities in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits disputes with the Social Security Administration at all administrative levels of appeal and in Federal Court. Student's work will entail interviewing clients, factual investigation, evidence gathering, legal research, drafting brief, and preparation of cases for administrative hearings. Student will have the opportunity to appear at a hearing, if available.

Medicare Advocacy Project: Work on behalf of elders and people with disabilities to help them navigate and access Medicare's complex program; develop educational materials for beneficiaries; factual and legal research and writing; client interviews, case development, advice and representation; address coverage, premium and enrollment issues.

School to Prison Pipeline: This project is committed to keeping children in school and ensuring they get trauma-informed treatment and non-exclusionary school discipline they need, with a specific focus on disrupting the school discipline disparities for Black and Latinx students and students with disabilities. Student interns may have opportunities to assist in all levels of client casework: conduct intakes, interview clients, review records (school discipline, special education, medical, etc.), legal research and writing, attend school discipline hearings and special education meetings, meet with medical and behavioral health providers, case development, and advice and representation. Students may have opportunities to assist in systemic impact work such as attending Boston area coalition meetings, administrative agency advocacy, or research and writing. Fluency in a 2nd language (especially Spanish or Cape Verdean Creole) is a plus.

Employment Law Unit

Employment Law: The GBLS Employment Law Unit is dedicated to advancing the workplace rights and economic well-being of low-wage workers, through strategies that include direct client representation, community-based lawyering in partnership with grassroots worker organizations, litigation (individual, group, and class action), and systemic legislative and administrative advocacy to achieve broad-based policy changes. Employment law advocacy issues include:

· Unemployment benefits

· Wage theft

· Labor-related immigration rights (U and T visas, and deferred action for workers involved in labor disputes)

· Paid sick leave and paid family & medical leave

· Injured workers’ rights

· Retaliation & discrimination

Law student interns have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the Unit’s work, including representing individual clients, undertaking legal research and writing projects to support litigation or systemic advocacy work, and engaging in community outreach.

Fulltime interns may have an opportunity to represent a client in an unemployment benefits appeal hearing, which provides a “mini-trial” experience including client preparation, legal and factual analysis, and direct and cross examination.

Low Income Tax Clinic (LITC): Part of the Employment Law Unit, the GBLS LITC represents low-income clients in tax controversies before state and federal tax agencies, does outreach and community education about tax credits, and engages in systemic advocacy to improve access and services. Students interested in focusing on tax issues can apply for LITC-specific internships, while other Employment Law Unit interns have the opportunity for involvement in tax work, if desired.

For both Employment Law and the LITC: Fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Cantonese or Mandarin, or Vietnamese is helpful but not required. Work-study funding may be available for co-ops or internships during the academic year, while summer funding is typically available from other sources. For Low Income Tax Clinic internships, non-work-study funding may also be available.

Family Law Unit

(ONLY ACCEPTING LAW STUDENTS)

The Family Law Unit offers legal services to victims/survivors of domestic abuse with contested custody matters in the Probate and Family Courts in Suffolk, Middlesex, and Norfolk Counties. In addition, the Unit engages in systemic advocacy in the trial court and in the legislature to further the interests of those affected by domestic abuse. Interns are exposed to all facets of case handling including client interviewing, legal research and writing, drafting pleadings, discovery, preparing cases for hearings and trials, and, if 3:03 certified, oral advocacy in court. 3:03 certified interns have their own caseload. Interns may also participate in obtaining abuse prevention orders (“restraining orders”) on behalf of victims/survivors.

Additional opportunities include the ability to participate in the unit’s systemic work aimed at improving access to justice for all victims/survivors of domestic abuse. Examples include working on legislative campaigns and court practice reform, continuing legal education efforts, and community outreach.

Students may also choose to work on one of the unit’s specialized projects, listed below.

Suffolk and Middlesex Counties Probate and Family Court Domestic Violence Advocacy Projects [Subject to Court Operations Orders during COVID-19]: In court advocacy to obtain restraining orders and other urgently required orders. Includes interviewing, pleadings preparation and courtroom representation.

Relocation Counseling and Identity Protection Initiative: A varied experience working with victims of crime who are seeking to relocate away from the perpetrator. Issues include custody jurisdiction, emergency court orders, internet stalking, privacy protection, identity change and other issues of import to these clients. Tasks include legal research, preparation of webinar and other training content and advocacy on behalf of victims seeking to relocate.

Latina Know Your Rights Project: A unique project providing legal representation and coordinated community services to Latinas in part of Middlesex County. Students represent clients in all aspects of family law and immigration matters and partner closely with domestic violence agencies in the area. This project is located in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Civil Legal Services for Victims of Crime (CLAVC): This project provides representation to victims of crime in a variety of substantive law areas: family law, public housing law, public benefits law and other areas as required by victims and/or survivors of crime.

SJC Rule 3:03 certification preferred (student attorney certification); Ability to speak a language other than English highly desirable; work-study funding available.

Housing Unit

The mission of the Housing Unit is to preserve tenancies and increase affordable housing for low income clients. We represent people facing eviction and organized tenant groups seeking to preserve and improve their housing. We also represent homeless families who seek to obtain or retain temporary shelter. The Housing Unit's work involves directly helping tenants who are at the verge of homelessness or who have already lost their homes. Internships involve interviewing clients, drafting legal documents, going to court, representing clients at administrative hearings, and representing clients in court (for interns who have SJC Rule 3:03 status). Interns may also help draft legislation, work on housing policy issues, attend and staff community meetings, participate in media outreach, take part in community organizing, and meet with clients in community settings. The housing unit is a fast-paced, collegial environment where interns get a chance to learn by doing.

Immigration Law Unit

The Immigration Unit provides representation to individuals before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Immigration Court (EOIR), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the First Circuit. We provide representation in a wide-range of immigration matters, but focus on individuals seeking asylum or protection from domestic abuse and unaccompanied minors. Our law students’ work closely with clients to prepare applications for asylum, self-petitions under the Violence Against

Women Act and U visa applications for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes; conduct legal research and prepare legal memos and court filings; and conduct research into country conditions. Great opportunity to work one-on-one with clients. Language ability (especially Spanish, French and Haitian Creole) and immigration experience or course work preferred but not required.

Welfare Law Unit

(ONLY ACCEPTING LAW STUDENTS)

The WLU uses a client-centered and trauma-informed approach to represent individuals and families in cases involving benefits administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). Individual cases often involve unlawful denial or termination of cash assistance, SNAP (food stamps), and childcare benefits. We also represent clients who cannot access benefits due to barriers including disability, language and domestic violence. Individual cases inform our systemic advocacy, through which we strive to make the welfare system more accessible and to fight back against efforts to erode the critical safety net that welfare benefits provide.

Under close supervision, law students in the WLU work directly with clients; law students are also expected to engage in careful legal analysis involving review of statutes, regulations, and/or sub-regulatory material. The WLU serves diverse clients who contend with some of the harshest conditions of deep poverty. Law students must be prepared to work with clients who face multiple barriers, including domestic violence, disabilities, limited English proficiency, limited education and literacy, housing instability, immigrant status issues, and the challenges of the low wage work market.

Courses in Administrative Law and Welfare Law are helpful, but not required. Spanish fluency is extremely helpful but not required. Fluency in Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Arabic, Mandarin, or Cantonese is also helpful but not required.

GBLS values diversity and encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.