Irap Law Student Fellowship

Summary

Join this fellowship opportunity designed for law students with lived experience of displacement or marginalization. Support an organization using legal and advocacy tools to aid forcibly displaced people. Over the academic year, fellows receive training and legal work experience, enhancing their knowledge and skills. The time commitment is approximately 2-3 hours weekly, combining trainings, mentorship, and casework. The schedule is flexible during exam periods, and the fellowship is fully remote, except for two 3-day retreats (expenses covered). Preference is given to students from schools outside the existing law school chapter network.

Requirements

• Have completed 1L year at a U.S.-based law school
• Strong interest in the immigration field
• Relevant skills and experience for the fellowship responsibilities
• Clear vision for how the fellowship fits into overall career goals
• Commitment to the full academic year program; and
• Ability to work independently and be accountable in a remote setting
• The Fellowship is based in the US (remote within the United States)
• The expected time commitment is about 2-3 hours per week
• This Fellowship requires travel for two 3-day retreats, at least one of which will be to IRAP’s office in New York in September/October and May (dates TBD - all expenses will be covered by IRAP)
• This Fellowship does not require office availability and is entirely remote

Responsibilities

• Attend trainings on relevant law, policies, and legal pathways
• Participate in skills-building trainings such as client interviewing, writing affidavits, and legal ethics
• Attend regular meetings with fellowship cohort, task supervisors, and assigned mentors
• Participate in 3-day trips to IRAP’s office in New York City and possibly another location in September/October and May (all expenses will be covered by IRAP)
• Support IRAP’s work, including by: Supporting the direct representation of forcibly displaced people and their family members seeking safe passage to the United States by drafting memos, applications briefs, conducting fact-finding, and interviewing clients; Conducting intake interviews and identifying client needs for direct services; Participating in discrete special projects, including legal clinics, providing assistance to client communities; Conducting outreach to affected communities, preparing and disseminating know-your-rights materials, pro se resources, and participating in public education efforts; Contributing as needed to the work of other programmatic departments, such as participating in litigation efforts as appropriate, conducting legal research in support of our work on climate displacement, and drafting and updating legal practitioner guides

Benefits

• $2,000 - $2,000 a year
• This fellowship comes with a $2,000 stipend for the year
• Fellows will also have their airfare, hotel, local transportation, and food covered during the two trips to New York