Thank you for your interest in LSC’s summer internship program. We are at capacity with summer law school interns, but encourage you to apply during next summer’s hiring season. Although we have a rolling application submission process, we generally review applications for the summer internship program in February. If you are a UC Law SF student interested in our fall Practicum, please apply through the Clinic application.
About Legal Services for Children
Founded in 1975, Legal Services for Children (“LSC”) is one of the country’s first non-profit law firms dedicated to providing free legal representation and social work services to children. Our mission is to ensure that all children in the San Francisco Bay Area are raised in a safe environment with equal access to a meaningful education and other services that are necessary to thrive and grow. We believe that our youth deserve positive alternatives to unnecessary placement in foster care, juvenile justice facilities, and immigration detention. LSC developed the interdisciplinary approach that is considered a best practice in juvenile law today. We deploy attorney-social worker teams to assist at-risk children who need to access the legal system to stabilize or improve their lives.
LSC’s attorneys represent children in legal matters that involve guardianship, dependency, school discipline, immigration, and other civil legal matters. LSC’s immigration practice involves defending youth in deportation proceedings and representing youth in a variety of affirmative and defensive applications for relief, including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, asylum, U visas, T visas, and DACA. Through our Detained Immigrant Children’s Project, we also provide “Know Your Rights” presentations, legal screenings, and direct representation to unaccompanied immigrant youth in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at its three facilities in Northern California. Our social workers provide crisis intervention, case management, counseling, and psychosocial assessments. LSC staff also engage in policy and advocacy projects aimed at advancing the rights of children.
Spring 2024 legal internships (JD-level)
Legal Services for Children provides free legal and social work services to children, adolescents and young adults who require legal assistance to stabilize their lives and realize their full potential. LSC is seeking law student pro bono volunteers or externs to work with us for 5-15 hours a week during the spring 2024 semester. Spanish speakers highly encouraged to apply.
The primary work performed in this position is helping staff our legal helpline, including conducting intake interviews and providing legal information and referrals to youth and concerned adults under the supervision of attorneys. Depending on interest, available hours and language capacity, law student could assist with know-your-rights presentations for youth, draft legal educational materials for young people, shadow attorneys and social workers at court hearings and client appointments, as well as assist with casework. LSC is unable to compensate for this position and encourages you to seek funding, credit, or pro bono hours from your law school. This position can be remote, in person or hybrid. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to internship@lsc-sf.org. by January 2, 2024.
Summer 2024 legal internships (JD-level)
Legal Services for Children provides free legal and social work services to children, adolescents and young adults who require legal assistance to stabilize their lives and realize their full potential. LSC is seeking law student applicants for full time internships during the summer of 2024. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Law student interns during summer 2024 will be paid $18.75 per hour.
Intern Duties include:
- Conducting intake interviews with callers to our agency’s “warm line”
- Assisting our staff attorneys with all aspects of direct representation, including client interviews, legal research and writing, drafting of declarations and other pleadings, and attendance at court hearings
- Engaging in advocacy and education efforts on behalf of children, including conducting community presentations for children, families, schools, and community organizations
- Conducting outreach to underserved youth populations, such as queer youth, homeless youth, immigrant youth, young women, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system
Qualifications
- Must have completed at least one year of law school before the internship begins
- Demonstrated commitment to the rights of children and interest in advocating for children
- Well-organized, motivated, creative, and independent, yet also able to work in a team-oriented environment
- Commitment to providing culturally competent services
- Available to work full-time over the course of 10 weeks
- Spanish language skills desired, but not required the non-immigration project areas (please indicate level of fluency in cover letter or resume)
- Spanish language fluency (both written and oral) required for working on immigration project specifically
APPLICATION PROCESS
Please submit a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please indicate the practice area(s) you are interested in (guardianship, dependency, or immigration) and address the following:
LSC’s clientele is extremely diverse, and the majority of our clients are low income youth of color. To ensure that our agency is best serving these children, LSC strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively in all cross-cultural situations, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural humility and diversity amongst our staff? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences.
Bilingual/bicultural candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. To promote social justice and best serve our clients, LSC is committed to maintaining a diverse staff and providing culturally competent services. We strongly encourage candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities and historically oppressed groups, as well as bilingual and bicultural candidates, to apply.
