Organization Description
Civil Survival Project organizes people who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system to build connections, gain knowledge and increase political participation. CSP provides leadership development, offers legal education and services, and leads legislative advocacy on systemic issues that prevent former justice-involved individuals from fully reintegrating into society. Civil Survival’s work includes:
- Organizing mass assistance days that provide legal financial obligation relief to hundreds of clients in a single day. During CSP’s mass assistance day in Pierce County, the courts waived over $2.3 million in criminal legal debt.
- Leading systemic advocacy to make reentry legal relief accessible and automatic. CSP recently led a coalition of organizations to improve Washington’s mandatory legal financial obligations motion, allowing the motion to provide relief to tens of thousands of additional Washingtonians.
- Hosting weekly GameChanger groups that provide justice-involved individuals a place to learn how to advocate for systemic change, overcome their own reentry barriers, and provide peer support.
- Supporting bills that expand legal rights for justice-involved individuals. CSP was closely involved in securing the passage of the New Hope Act, which made significant improvements to Washington’s criminal record vacation process.
Position Description
An intern with the Legal Team will work under the supervision of a CSP attorney to assist formerly incarcerated individuals across Washington State who face legal barriers to successful reentry. This work will include: criminal record vacation, legal financial obligation remission, relief from drug possession convictions under State v Blake, and registration relief for individuals convicted of sex offenses. The intern will work on a variety of projects that include but are not limited to—assess individual eligibility for relief, research and write legal memoranda, engage in communication with individual clients, work on current policy advocacy projects, and assist in the preparation of community training events and mass assistance days.
Location
CSP has a fully remote office. Candidates across the United States are encouraged to apply. We will strive to accommodate your preferred state of residency. However, due to local regulations, this may not be possible in some states. In that situation, should you wish to accept the internship, you would need to relocate for the internship period to a state, such as Washington, where we can provide a remote internship. We are unable to evaluate whether an internship can be offered in a specific state until we extend an internship offer.
Qualifications
- Completion of at least one year of law school by the start of the internship.
- Excellent legal research and writing skills.
- Strong ability to work collaboratively.
- Strong interest in criminal legal system reform and addressing the racially disparate impacts of mass incarceration.
- Strong organizational skills. The intern should be able to manage multiple projects, ensuring that tasks are completed in a timely manner and lower-priority items do not slip through the cracks.
- A deep commitment to growth in a trauma-informed, anti-racist organization.
- An understanding and empathy with the stresses experienced by clients who are impacted by poverty, mental illness, disabilities, unstable housing, substance use disorder, domestic strife, and other barriers. Ability to help these clients engage in their own representation through the principles of harm-reduction—meeting clients where they are, in a way that is responsive to their specific needs.
- Demonstrated cultural competence and sensitivity in working with diverse clients, communities, and colleagues.
Equal Opportunity Employer
CSP is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and fosters an environment free of barriers and discriminatory practices. CSP actively promotes mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork and productivity. CSP is committed to maintaining an organization whose staff, Board and clients are diverse in background, experience, race, color, national origin, gender, age, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual identity, sensory, mental or physical abilities, veteran status, and other qualities that strengthen the program while reinforcing its commitment to basic fairness.
People of color, people who identify as queer, trans, lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and those with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals needing a reasonable accommodation for the application or interview process should contact Corey Guilmette (he/him pronouns) at corey.guilmette@civilsurvival.org or (206) 641-5334.
How to Apply
Applications will be accepted and reviewed according to the timelines below depending on the term you wish to begin the internship/externship. Please submit the following materials to Charlie Klein (he/him/his pronouns) at: charlie.klein@civilsurvival.org.
- Letter of interest
- Resumé
- One legal writing sample, unedited by others
- Please indicate which quarter you are applying for (e.g. Summer 2024), and whether you will be applying for school credit
Application Timeline:
Summer Term
Application Due Date – 4/15
Review Date – 4/30
Fall Term
Application Due Date – 6/15
Review Date – 6/30
Spring/Winter Term
Application Due Date – 10/15
Review Date – 10/31