Domestic Bilingual Placements
To enroll in a bilingual placement, you must be proficient in Spanish. You are required to meet with Professor Raquel Aldana for a language assessment prior to applying to one of these placements. Some of these placements may require that you have taken Immigration Law. You are also encouraged to enroll in Legal Spanish, which is offered again in the Spring 2011.
Los Angeles
General Consulate of Guatemala, Los Angeles, California
The General Consulate of Guatemala is the Guatemalan government agency charged with servicing the needs of Guatemalan nationals residing in the United States. Their services include providing Guatemalan nationals with Guatemalan identity, including a Consular card and a Guatemalan passport. The Consulate also assists Guatemalans in the United States with obtaining civil registry documents from Guatemala, including birth, marriage, and birth certificates, and with authenticating foreign legal documents (e.g., from the United States) for use in legal or formal proceedings in Guatemala. In addition, the Consulate works with U.S. immigration attorneys to provide immigration legal services to indigent Guatemalans, including visiting Guatemalan nationals who are being held in detention. As well, the Consulate provides consular representation to Guatemalan nationals jailed or accused of crimes in the United States.
Students working in the office would conduct in-take of a large number of Guatemalan nationals who visit the consulate daily and would work with attorneys to resolve a variety of legal matters pertaining to immigration, crime, family law, housing, and/or consumer rights.
- Requirement — Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
Oakland
Centro Legal de la Raza
Centro Legal de la Raza is a comprehensive legal services agency protecting and advancing the rights of immigrant, low-income and Latino communities through bilingual legal representation, education, community organizing and advocacy. Centro Legal combines legal services with know-your-rights education to increase access to justice for thousands of individuals and families each year throughout the East Bay region of Northern California.
Services are provided through regular clinics and with the support of four staff attorneys, over 25 pro bono attorneys and numerous volunteer law students and college students. Centro Legal is also involved in important impact litigation and policy work that will benefit the communities that Centro Legal serves.
- Requirement — Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
Sacramento
General Consulate of Mexico
The General Consulate of Mexico is the Mexican government agency charged with servicing the needs of Mexican nationals residing in the United States. Their services include providing Mexican nationals with Mexican identity, including a Consular card and a Mexican passport. The Consulate also assists Mexicans in the United States with obtaining civil registry documents from Mexico, including birth, marriage, and birth certificates, and with authenticating foreign legal documents (e.g., from the United States) for use in legal or formal proceedings in Mexico. In addition, the Consulate works with U.S. immigration attorneys to provide immigration legal services to indigent Mexicans, including visiting Mexican nationals who are being held in detention. As well, the Consulate provides consular representation to Mexican nationals jailed or accused of crimes in the United States.
Students working in the office would conduct in-take of a large number of Mexican nationals who visit the consulate daily and would work with attorneys to resolve a variety of legal matters pertaining to immigration, crime, family law, housing, and/or consumer rights.
- Requirement — Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
Opening Doors, Inc.
Opening Doors, Inc. is dedicated to work with refugees, immigrants and underserved people to develop their social and economic skills, wellness, and personal and financial assets to successfully assimilate into society while respecting their cultural identity and individual goals. Students working with Opening doors would assist in cases involving victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and other crimes, including with immigration filings and proceedings.
- Website
- Requirement — Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
Legal Services of Northern California
LSNC has a multi-dimensional service delivery system which employs the efficiencies of telephone hotlines, self-help advocacy through counseling, clinics, pro se materials, and community legal education, in addition to direct representation both in court and at administrative hearings.
Students work under attorney supervision with low-income individuals in the areas of employment law, welfare benefits, landlord/tenant and land use law. Depending on the area they choose, students interview clients, do relevant legal research, counsel clients, prepare pleadings and court documents, and represent clients in administrative hearings.
- Website
- Requirement — Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
SHCC promotes businesses owned by Latino businessmen and businesses that want to do business with the Latino community. This is a volunteer placement for students interested in gaining valuable contacts in both business and state and local government. Because the Chamber works primarily in English, proficiency in Spanish is not required in order to participate in this externship.
Areas in which students will gain experience include outreach to public officials, analysis of proposed legislation, legislative lobbying, regional advocacy, and research on current issues. Interested students may contact Mr. Steve Gandola, SHCC President, directly.
San Francsicso
General Consulate of Guatemala
The General Consulate of Guatemala services Guatemalan nationals residing in the United States. Their services include providing Guatemalan nationals with a Guatemalan passport and assists Guatemalans in the United States with obtaining civil registry documents from Guatemala. In addition, the Consulate works with U.S. immigration attorneys to provide immigration legal services to indigent Guatemalans. As well, the Consulate provides consular representation to Guatemalan nationals jailed or accused of crimes in the United States.
Students working in the office will conduct in-take of Guatemalan nationals who visit the consulate and will work to resolve legal matters pertaining to immigration and crime.
- Website
- Requirement — Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
- Note — This placement is available on a volunteer basis only and cannot be taken for credit.
Center for Justice and Accountability
The CJA is an international human rights organization dedicated to deterring torture and other severe human rights abuses around the world, including in Latin America, and advancing the rights of survivors to seek truth, justice, and redress. CJA uses litigation, usually under universal jurisdiction principles in the US or in other countries, including Spain, to hold perpetrators individually accountable for human rights abuses, develop human rights law, and advance the rule of law in countries transitioning from periods of abuse. Applications to the CJA must be made early: in December for the Summer, in May for the Fall and in October for the Spring.
Stockton
California Rural Legal Assistance Inc.
CRLA, a not-for-profit agency, dedicated to the promotion of economic justice and human rights for the rural poor, has offices throughout California. The Stockton office serves the greater San Joaquin Valley, including Sacramento.
The office has two principal programs, one that represents agricultural workers and one that provides legal services to indigent non-agricultural workers in rural communities. In addition to direct legal representation, the office runs a monthly employment clinic and engages in broader advocacy and policy matters.
Washington, D.C., and other field offices — Baltimore, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark and New York
Kids in Need of Defense
KIND was founded by the Microsoft Corporation and actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie to create a pro bono movement of law firms, corporate law departments, NGOs and volunteers committed to providing fair, competent and compassionate legal counsel to unaccompanied immigrant children in the U.S. We're calling this new coalition KIND -- but it's about more than compassion, it's about protecting the rights of children. KIND has an ambitious but achievable agenda. By 2010, KIND intends to provide legal representation for 100% of unaccompanied children in the areas of the country where the need is greatest. KIND has also trained hundreds of lawyers to help prepare them to take unaccompanied children's cases. These volunteer lawyers are part of the network KIND is creating to ensure that all unaccompanied children have free representation in immigration proceedings. KIND has field offices in Baltimore, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, New York City, and Washington, DC. KIND also advocates for changes in policies to better protect the rights of unaccompanied children.
KIND is looking for committed law students with knowledge and experience in immigration law, particularly on matters affecting children. Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
- Website
- Requirement — Students must have taken or be co-enrolled in Immigration Law.
- Note — Applications for summer internships should be submitted no later than January of the year for which the internship is sought, while applications for fall internships should be submitted no later than the previous July. KIND participates in the Public Interest Career Day held every February at UC Hastings College of Law.
