Course-Credit Education Law Internship

About the role

IDRA’s Education Law Internship is designed for law students passionate about educational equity, civil rights and movement lawyering. Interns will gain hands-on experience working within an interdisciplinary team committed to protecting and advancing the rights of students and families in public schools across the U.S. South. This internship is open to law students pursuing a J.D. (or equivalent) capable of performing staff-level work under minimal supervision. The internship is intended for students seeking academic course credit, and all credit arrangements must be handled directly between the student and their university. IDRA will provide supervision, engage in mentorship, and complete all required institutional documentation to support the student throughout the internship.

Responsibilities

Education Law Clerks support the work of IDRA’s Legal and Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement teams. Under the supervision of the Chief Legal Analyst, interns may:

• Research and draft analyses of developments in education law
• Assist with preparing amicus briefs, legal advocacy letters and other legal communications
• Participate in internal and external strategy sessions for civil rights litigation
• Support the drafting of legal complaints related to education justice
• Contribute to investigations of civil rights concerns in K-12 and higher education
• Conduct research related to school discipline, censorship, immigrant student rights, harassment and bullying and other civil rights issues
• Assist with advocacy projects, policy review and community engagement efforts
• Participate in team meetings, strategy discussions and project planning
• Complete administrative or project coordination tasks as needed

Project assignments are matched to the intern’s strengths, interests and academic goals, as well as IDRA’s ongoing legal needs.

Areas of Special Interest

IDRA is particularly interested in applicants with experience or interest in:

• Movement and community lawyering
• School funding and legal issues relating to school privatization
• School discipline and school safety
• Identity-based bullying and harassment
• Immigrant student rights
• Censorship in K-12 and higher education
• Civil rights and education justice advocacy

Qualifications

Ideal candidate traits include:

• Authentic connection to and compassion for marginalized students and their communities
• A demonstrated commitment to equal educational opportunity and civil rights
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong time management and ability to multitask
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting
• Curiosity and passion about education law and policy issues
• Self-motivation, reliability and strong ethical judgment
• Ability to present oneself professionally

Program Structure

Format: Fully remote

Duration: Approximately 8-10 weeks (varies by semester and university requirements)

Start Date: Flexible, based on academic term

Weekly Hours: 15-30 hours per week, depending on internship course requirements

Compensation: Unpaid. This internship is intended for course credit. Students are encouraged to seek school-based or external public interest funding if available.

Academic Credit: All credit arrangements must be coordinated directly between the student and their university.