Children’s Rights is a national advocacy organization based in New York City that has, for 20 years, led civil rights legal reform efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable children. With active campaigns in over a dozen states in the U.S., we combine grassroots investigations, advocacy, and impact litigation to hold government systems accountable to the children who depend on them. Our work focuses on reforming failing child welfare systems and addressing emerging social justice issues for children, including racism systemic to state systems, the rights of LGBTQ/TGNC youth, the pervasive practice of administering powerful and dangerous psychotropic drugs to children in foster care without adequate oversight, access to mental and physical health care, juvenile justice conditions, and right to education.

Children’s Rights is seeking first or second year law students for full-time internships in our New York City office for the summer of 2024. Interns gain substantive training and education in civil rights law and impact litigation, as well as the field of children’s rights and child welfare, and receive mentorship from experienced attorneys. Because of the relatively small size of our organization, interns enjoy tremendous responsibilities and assist attorneys with all aspects of our work. These responsibilities include participating in active litigation—including motion practice, discovery, expert witness work, and legal research—as well as helping to develop new cases—including working with local stakeholders and legal and factual research into new claims.

Applicants should have strong analytical abilities, research and writing skills, as well as an interest in litigation and/or public interest law. Experience with or interest in children’s rights issues is desirable but not required. Applicants must commit full-time to the internship for 10 weeks during the summer. Internships at Children’s Rights are unpaid.

Children’s Rights is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ/TGNC people, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The internship is available in-person or remotely.

To apply, please submit a cover letter (with a writing sample attached to this document) and resume to childrensrights.bamboohr.com/jobs/. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. For any additional questions you may have regarding this position you may send an email to Anna Hackel at internship@childrensrights.org.

Children’s Rights

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Summer 2024 Legal Internship