Children's Legal Intern (Unpaid)

Company: International Rescue Committee
Location: New York City
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future. TITLE: NY Children’s Legal Internship LOCATION: New York, NY START DATE: SPRING 2026 DURATION: June 1st - August 21st (Hybrid) POSITION REPORTS TO: Jessica Lazo BACKGROUND: International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in more than 40 countries and over 20 U.S. cities, the IRC provides resettlement, education and empowerment support to refugees and displaced people. SCOPE OF WORK (Children’s Legal Intern): The Children’s Legal Services (CLS) program in New York provides legal representation to unaccompanied children. To be eligible for services, unaccompanied children must be under the age of 18 at the time they enter the CLS program, have no immigration status, and, at same time, have been officially designated as an unaccompanied child by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). We help them understand the immigration systems, prepare them for hearings, evaluate and advise them on the types of immigration applications they can file, and assist them with preparing their filings. Many cases will also involve hearings in NY state court, and we provide preparation and representation for those hearings as well. RESPONSIBILITIES: • Support in building and fostering relationships with our young clients by participating in client meetings. • Provide administrative support to the Children’s Legal Services team, including checking for upcoming court hearings, communicating regularly with clients, preparing applications, drafting supporting documents, and support in filing with appropriate agencies. • Perform research on immigration issues, country conditions, etc. • Partake in online immigration law trainings and webinars. • Assist in tapping into other IRC NY programs to get additional support for clients when needed, such as educational resources, etc. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Intern will gain exposure and understand various immigration processes and reliefs available to unaccompanied children. 2. Intern will gain an understanding of a trauma-informed, client centered approach and the special considerations when working with children in a legal setting. 3. Intern will gain exposure to NY family court and procedures. 4. Intern will learn how to manage client cases within established deadlines. 5. Intern will develop problem solving skills, client services skills, and intercultural social work skills. REQUIREMENTS: • Must be in enrolled in and have completed 1L at an ABA-accredited law school. • Proficiency in Spanish is strongly preferred. • Must have a demonstrated passion for working with children and/or low-to- moderate income immigrant populations (including refugees, asylum seekers, etc.). • Must be motivated, flexible, able to manage time effectively, and able to work independently as well as within a dynamic team. • Must successfully complete IRC orientation and full background check (Live Scan & HireRight). IRC leading the way From Harm to Home. PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct . Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding , Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients. Cookies: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/cookiesettings Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements. US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles. Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. li-1

Keywords: International Rescue Committee, Danbury , Children's Legal Intern (Unpaid), Legal , New York City, Connecticut