Job description
About Global Screenings and Casework Team
Composed of dedicated, skilled, and innovative staff, the GSC team conducts screenings across various platforms for displaced persons worldwide seeking legal assistance from IRAP. They provide legal representation to displaced persons in their legal process with UNHCR in Turkey, Iraq, and the Gulf States, submit P-1 US Refugee Admission Program cases and humanitarian visas in different countries, and manage IRAP’s automated screening chatbot.
Opportunity
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) seeks a graduate student to work as a summer intern with our GSC Department. This is a remote internship, but candidates will have the option of working from IRAP’s New York City or Washington D.C. office spaces.
Candidates must secure their own external funding to apply. Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be considered.
Possible Responsibilities
- With supervision from appropriately accredited IRAP staff, provide screenings and legal information to refugees.
- Use IRAP’s databases to create and maintain appropriate case records.
- Conduct intake interviews with refugees and/or other vulnerable persons remotely.
- Draft and submit client intake forms and referrals for submission to UNHCR or other entities.
- Draft and update legal practitioner guides, analyze changes in U.S. domestic and international law and newly released government guidance, and create other materials to assist IRAP staff and legal aid practitioners.
- Support the department’s work and projects, including through outreach to potential partner organizations, developing or translating self-help resources.
- Conduct country condition research related to different refugee communities.
Requirements
Education
Must be currently enrolled in an advanced degree program in a field related to law, policy, or international relations.
Experience
NA
Values, Competencies, and Skills
Strong research, writing, and analytical skills.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a preference for experience working in diverse and international work environments.
Sensitivity to client empowerment and to working with clients of all backgrounds, including LGBTI clients, survivors of trauma, and other vulnerable populations.
Ability to be flexible in a fast-paced and high-pressure work environment.
Must be highly organized and motivated, able to multitask, manage a high-volume workload, and have excellent time management skills.
Ability to enter, record, and track data accurately in data management systems.
Comfortable working with diverse populations.
Microsoft Suite; Google Docs and Sheets.
Proficiency in a second language spoken by large numbers of refugees is preferred: Arabic, Spanish, Somali, Pashto, Kurdish, etc.
Internship-related Requirements
- This internship is remote with the option of working from IRAP’s New York City or Washington D.C. office spaces.
- This position does not require in-office availability.
- Must have sufficient external funding (e.g., school funding) to cover a 10-week internship program.
- Must have work authorization in the United States.
Duration
This is a full-time internship and requires a 10-week commitment beginning on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, with an onboarding week (May 27-30) in IRAP’s New York office. If you are only able to work part-time (for example, if you are a part-time student) or are unable to begin on May 27th, please still apply, and we will review your application.
Compensation/School Credit
Candidates must have their own sufficient external funding to apply (e.g., school funding) to cover a 10-week internship program.
Application Process
Please submit the following materials here. We will only review complete applications.
- A 1-page cover letter describing your interest in working with IRAP, including any relevant life or work experience. Please address your cover letter to Zaid Hatoum, the GSC Director.
- A 1–2-page resume;
- A list of 2-3 professional references.
IRAP believes that diversity is critical to fostering a strong workplace and serving our clients well. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities that we serve, members of other marginalized communities, and individuals whose identities are underrepresented in the legal profession.
IRAP is an equal-opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. IRAP does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, ethnic background, religion, political orientation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all local, state, and federal laws related to the Fair Chance Act.
