The National Employment Law Project (NELP) seeks a law student for a fall internship (15 to 20 hrs/wk). The intern must be in an approved academic course for credit, as the position is unpaid. The law student will work remotely with NELP’s Social Insurance team with a particular focus on unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. This is an opportunity to leverage your talent to support our efforts to ensure underpaid workers of color and their families are able to access and receive critically needed UI benefits.
Who We Are
Founded in 1969, the nonprofit National Employment Law Project (NELP) is a leading advocacy organization with the mission to build a just and inclusive economy where all workers have expansive rights and thrive in good jobs. Together with local, state, and national partners, NELP advances its mission through transformative legal and policy solutions, research, capacity building, and communications. Our victories over the last decade have impacted the lives of an estimated 100 million workers and their families. We lead and collaborate in fights for higher pay and just benefits, secure and safe jobs, and support at each stage in a worker’s life. For more information, read our annual reports and explore our website: www.nelp.org.
NELP has a team of 55 staff people based across offices in New York City, Washington D.C., and Berkeley, CA, with an 11-person Board of Directors, an annual budget of $17M-20M, and hundreds of partners in the field with whom we work to further our mission.
What You Will Do
You will work with the Social Insurance (SI) team and be supervised by an attorney. You will work with NELP’s staff of lawyers, policy experts, researchers, and strategic communications experts. Our work is focused on supporting allies and developing policies seeking to broaden and modernize state and federal unemployment insurance programs, to ensure coverage that centers the needs of Black and immigrant communities.
The legal intern will assist the SI team in all aspects of this work, which may include:
- Providing legal, policy, and strategic assistance for state and federal policy campaigns, including drafting legislation, legal research and analyses, and policy briefs;
- Strategic participation in litigation as well as state and federal administrative advocacy, including drafting amicus briefs, preparing legal research memos, and developing comments on regulatory proposals; and
- Drafting reports, op-eds, and similar advocacy-focused materials to aid in the SI team’s various state and federal campaigns.
Who You Are
- You are a law student who is approved to receive academic credit and work remotely for 15 to 20 hrs/wk.
- You have knowledge of UI, or similar social safety net programs.
- You have a commitment and excitement to expand your UI expertise.
- You are committed to building your racial equity competencies; and you are continuously learning, reflecting, and growing.
- You are self-aware, curious, and respectful with strong interpersonal skills fostering a sense of purpose and community and have high standards for holding yourself and others accountable.
- You operate with a commitment to excellence, integrity, diplomacy, and camaraderie.
Start Date, Compensation, and Location: The start date will be in the fall of 2023. You must be receiving approved academic credit for the internship. You will be working remotely, however if you prefer to work in one of NELP’s physical offices, we may be able to accommodate your preference. All NELP staff currently have the option to work remotely but will be working in the physical office at least six days per month during the time of the internship in the fall of 2023.
To apply: Through our online database at nationalemploymentlawproject.applytojob.com/apply, submit a cover letter and resume. If you have questions regarding this announcement, please email nelp@nelp.org, noting “Fall 2023 Legal Internship” in the subject line. No phone calls or other email inquiries please. We will consider applications on a rolling basis. Applications due by April 7, 2023.
NELP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and an equal opportunity, fair chance, affirmative action employer, committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.