Spring 2023 Legal Internships- New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)

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Who We Are. Founded in 1990, the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) is a leading not-for-profit civil legal services organization advocating for adults, children, and families that are experiencing poverty or have low income. We tackle the legal challenges and systemic barriers that threaten our clients’ economic stability, well-being, and safety. We address emerging and urgent needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, direct representation, impact litigation, policy advocacy, financial counseling, medical-legal partnerships, and community education and partnerships. Last year, we affected the lives of 90,800 people.

Our Commitment to Race Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strive to constantly improve how we respond to systemic racism affecting our clients in their pursuit of justice. Our client population is diverse with intersecting social identities, but largely people of color. Recognizing our clients deserve representation and other assistance that is both culturally sensitive and trauma informed, we are committed to using volunteer and internship opportunities to include the voices and ideas of those whose backgrounds and lived experiences are similar to those of our client population as well as those who have faced systemic barriers. We encourage everyone who has a commitment to public interest law and connection to NYLAG’s mission and values to apply.

About Recruitment. NYLAG hosts interns across our practice areas in our Fall and Spring internship program starting from late August to early December. Students typically work in our main office or offsite clinics, hospitals, and community-based organizations. Internships are either full-time or part-time, unpaid positions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Spring recruitment period: September 1 - January 1

Qualifications. Applicants should have excellent research, writing, and analytical skills, and a strong commitment to public interest law. Applicants may be considered for more than one position but should indicate in a single cover letter which positions are of interest and order of preference.

HOW TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter AND resume to volunteer@nylag.org.Your cover letter MUST clearly state the specific position for which you are applying and describe the relevant experience. Please review the job description for which unit(s) require a writing sample. The subject line of the email MUST read: SPRINGINTERNSHIP 2023.

RESUMES WITHOUT A COVER LETTER WILL NOT LIKELY BE CONSIDERED.

Consumer Protection Unit Intern
The Consumer Protection Unit supports unrepresented litigants in consumer debt cases in New York City's Civil Courts. Interns will have the opportunity to represent clients in court, negotiate with opposing counsel, and argue before a judge. The legal intern will appear in court in defense of debt collection actions (under attorney supervision), perform legal research, draft motion papers, create legal self-help and reference materials, work directly with clients, conduct client intakes, and more. Some light administrative work is expected, such as entering client data into our client database.

Domestic Violence Law Unit, Law School Intern

Legal interns have extensive client contact, draft petitions and motions, provide litigation assistance, and attend court proceedings throughout the internship under the supervision of a NYLAG attorney. Legal interns will assist petitioners with orders of protection through the Family Offense Project (FOP) in Family Court, and will work on a variety of matters on their supervising attorney(s) docket including contested and uncontested divorces, custody and visitation, spousal and child support and immigration matters under the Violence Against Women Act. Strong preference for fluent Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, Urdu, Russian, Hebrew, or Bengali speakers.

Domestic Violence Law Unit, College Intern

College interns will provide litigation and administration assistance to attorneys and paralegals, including assisting with intake, client communication, and administrative support for litigation and immigration cases. College interns will have the opportunity to attend and observe court proceedings and client interviews. Strong preference for fluent Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, Urdu, Russian, Hebrew, or Bengali speakers.

Elder Law Practice Intern

Interns in the Elder Law Practice will work closely with attorneys to provide direct elder law services to seniors who are experiencing poverty or who have low-income. Elder Law’s primary focus is obtaining health care and ensuring that client’s wishes followed through advanced life planning. Interns will gain a familiarity with public health insurance options and appeals, long term care in the home, the use of Supplemental Needs Trusts for disabled individuals, and the many planning documents, including powers of attorney, health care proxies, living wills and last wills and testaments.

Employment Law Project Intern

The Employment Law Project provides representation in cases involving discrimination, wage and hour, sick and family leave, as well as unemployment insurance issues. Intern responsibilities will include client intake and interviewing, legal research and writing, drafting demand letters and pleadings, as well as other duties that arise related to ongoing litigation. Strong preference for applicants with Spanish fluency.

Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program Intern

The Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program advocates at the intersection of health and disability law on behalf of older persons and younger people with disabilities who, because of chronic health conditions and poverty, need access to Medicaid home care and other long-term care to avoid being forced into a nursing home. Medicare does not provide these services at all, and has high cost-sharing that Medicaid subsidizes. Interns will help clients navigate the complex Medicaid eligibility rules and procedural hurdles, and the systemic barriers that incentivize Medicaid-funded insurance plans to deny home care services to those who need them. The intern will do intake, counseling, case investigation, and legal research, draft legal memoranda, medical affidavits and testimony, and represent client at a Fair Hearing or in other administrative advocacy. The intern may also participate in coalitions engaged in policy and legislative advocacy, prepare materials for and conduct legal education presentations for consumers, and develop materials for http://nyhealthaccess.org. Strong preference for fluent Russian or Spanish speaker.

Federal Legal Clinic Intern (SDNY)

The Federal Legal Clinic (SDNY) helps at all stages of federal litigation to persons representing themselves in an incredibly diverse range of cases including, civil rights, employment discrimination, labor law, intellectual property, social security benefits, and fair housing law. This diversity of cases and litigants provides volunteers with a unique opportunity to gain practical experience "thinking like a lawyer" and solving a variety of legal and non-legal issues while working directly with litigants. Interns have extensive contact with litigants by conducting initial intake interviews, providing legal consultations to clients under the supervision of an attorney, and interviewing clients to gather facts for written submissions to the federal court. Interns also write for a range of audiences including briefs for court, other litigation documents, and guides, templates, and fact sheets for litigants. This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in federal litigation, direct legal services, or policy work.

Foreclosure Prevention Project Intern
The Foreclosure Prevention Project provides legal representation and community education for homeowners facing foreclosure and other risks to homeownership. The project assists clients with all aspects of foreclosure defense litigation, deed transfers, and real estate contracts, closings, and short sale applications. Intern responsibilities include: virtual and in-person client intakes and interviews at foreclosure clinics on Long Island and the five boroughs; attending settlement conferences and court appearances; conducting legal research; submitting mortgage modification applications and other homeowner program applications needed to avoid foreclosure. Strong preference for fluent Spanish speakers.

Health Law Intern

The Health Law Practice provides advice and representation to individuals throughout New York City related to Medicare, Medicaid and other public health insurance programs and serves as the principal public health insurance resource for the Public Benefit Unit’s broader benefits work. An intern in the Health Law Practice will conduct phone intakes, advocate with government agencies to assist clients secure health insurance related benefits/services, conduct legal research, and support attorneys/paralegals in the Health Law practice.

Immigrant Protection Unit Intern

Interns work directly with clients under the supervision of an attorney on a range of cases, including detained and non-detained defense from removal, appeals, post-removal order relief, applications for asylum, application assistance for naturalization, self-petitions for domestic violence victims, T visas for victims of human trafficking, U visas for victims of crimes, and other affirmative and humanitarian-based applications. The internship provides the opportunity for extensive legal research as well as drafting comprehensive legal memoranda. Finally, students also could be involved in community outreach and other project-based initiatives. Strong preference for fluent Spanish speakers.

LegalHealth Intern
Interns will join LegalHealth’s generalist practice, joining our work as intermediaries between our clients and the administrative agencies from which they seek benefits. Our practice areas include public benefits, housing, immigration, social security, special education, and family law. Interns will assist patients in securing benefits, addressing housing issues, accessing immigration status, and resolving family law matters. Interns can expect to interview and intake clients, work on their legal writing and advocacy skills, maintain client files, and conduct legal research.

LGBTQ Law Project Intern

The LGBTQ Law Project serves New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer communities by providing free representation and advice on a wide array of civil legal matters and offering group trainings on legal issues affecting the LGBTQ communities. The LGBTQ Law Project provides free representation in the following areas: housing and family law matters, including orders of protection, second parent adoptions, custody and visitation, divorces, legal name changes, immigration issues, orders of protection, public benefits, estate matters, advance directives, housing and employment discrimination and more. Intern responsibilities will include working directly with clients, intake, client interviews, maintaining and updating client files, legal research, drafting and filing court and client documents. Strong preference for fluent Spanish speakers.

Mediation Project Intern

Interns will interview potential clients about issues to be resolved, screen out domestic violence cases through clients' interviews, observe, take notes and write a summary of mediation sessions. In addition, students assist clients prepare statements of net worth and gather financial information, draft agreements mediated by the parties at NYLAG, work on an uncontested divorce for a party who mediated their agreement at NYLAG, as well as research and write a guide on issues such as equitable distribution, support, custody/visitation and domestic violence to be used by consulting attorneys.

Mobile Legal Help Center

The Mobile Legal Help Center (MLHC) is an innovative joint project of NYLAG and the New York State Courts Access to Justice Program that travels directly to underserved communities to bring free, civil legal services to individuals in New York City and Long Island. The Mobile Legal Help Center is the country’s first-ever legal services office on wheels. Attorneys provide counseling, advice, and direct representation without leaving the vehicle. The MLHC contains two private meeting areas for attorneys and clients and is equipped with high-speed Internet and state-of-the-art technology. It travels throughout the five boroughs and parts of Long Island, focusing on areas with limited public transportation options. Through the MLHC, New Yorkers in need of legal help can overcome obstacles such as geographic isolation, health and mobility issues, and childcare concerns. Interns staff the van 1-2 times per week and conduct intakes in all areas of law that NYLAG practices. Interns also assist MLHC attorneys who practice in Housing and Employment law with drafting documents, conducting research, advocacy with administrative agencies, and shadowing at court appearances.

Special Education Intern

Special Education interns will address such matters as the adequacy of child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), the appropriateness of child’s school placement, and a child’s need for related services, such as speech and language therapy. Intern responsibilities will include client interviewing, maintaining client files, legal writing and research.

Special Litigation Intern (Writing Sample Required)

SLU seeks law students with a demonstrated commitment to public interest work and service to populations experiencing poverty. Interns will provide substantive contributions to all phases of complex impact litigations that advance social and economic justice, addressing the full range of legal areas in which NYLAG serves clients. Among other things, interns will conduct in-depth legal research, investigate the factual bases for proposed and ongoing impact litigation, draft comprehensive legal memoranda and court documents, participate in litigation and settlement strategy discussions, assist with motion practice and discovery, and attend court proceedings and case meetings. A WRITING SAMPLE IS REQUIRED.

Tenants’ Rights Intern

Interns will get hands-on experience conducting every aspect of eviction defense litigation, including client intake interviews, engaging in deadline-sensitive research to support Housing Court motion practice, and drafting Housing Court motions. Interns will accompany attorneys to Housing Court appearances on a regular basis and participate in negotiations with opposing counsel to settle cases. Interns will also engage in affirmative litigation to assert tenants’ rights under rent stabilization laws and to ensure tenants’ apartments are safe and habitable. Finally, interns will work on administrative law matters to help clients resolve issues with public housing, help seniors and/or disabled tenants freeze their rent, and resolve problems with housing subsidies. Interns should be available to travel to courthouses in different boroughs, especially Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Preference will be given to candidates who are bilingual in Spanish, Russian or another prevalent language.

Veterans Practice

Interns in the Veterans Practice will work closely with NYLAG staff to provide direct legal services to United States military veterans. The Veterans Practice is focused on helping veterans secure the compensation and benefits they earned through their dedicated service to our country. Interns will become familiar with the eligibility, procedural, and evidentiary requirements for VA disability benefit claims and DOD discharge upgrades. Interns will have the opportunity to work on applications and appeals by gathering and reviewing evidence, drafting legal briefs and memoranda, and communicating directly with veteran clients. The Veterans Practice provides an opportunity to learn about legal protections for veterans, federal and state veterans’ benefits, and the landscape of social service providers in NYC.