Job’o’th’Week (Internship Edition)
Photo: Brenda Gottesman – CC License
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont
The Organization
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont (LSSP) is a non-profit agency that provides legal assistance in civil matters to low-income persons in Charlotte and mid-western North Carolina.
LSSP provides an intense, practical, and worthwhile internship for students interested in providing legal services to low-income people. LSSP has a long tradition of aggressive and effective advocacy, including individual cases, complex litigation and other advocacy projects. Our interns work with staff attorneys on routine cases, handle administrative cases as the primary advocate under the supervision of an attorney, and participate in significant client advocacy projects, as described in the job description below. You can find more information about our organization and our work on our website at www.lssp.org.
The Position
Help LSSP Attorneys Represent Clients
Assist attorneys as directed on specific cases, including interviewing clients and witnesses; collecting, evaluating and preparing evidence for presentation; performing legal research; drafting pleadings, briefs and other legal documents; consistent with LSSP standards for representation. Interns are generally assigned to one attorney supervisor for each half of the summer, and work primarily with that attorney on routine cases such as eviction defense, public assistance and social insurance eligibility, protection from domestic violence and predatory lending. Interns have the opportunity for extensive client contact, participate in all stages of case development, and accompany the staff attorneys to court hearings.
Handle Administrative Cases
As primary advocate under attorney supervision, handle limited number of administrative cases such as Unemployment Insurance appeals, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid disability appeals, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamp or other administrative cases; attend to cases on a timely basis; keep clients notified of progress on cases; maintain case files in accordance with program policy; maintain tickler system, prepare periodic case reports as required; close cases promptly upon completion of representation. Interns will be primarily responsible for at least one administrative hearing and generally will handle between two and five hearings during the summer. Although opportunities are presented to watch one or two hearings and close attorney supervision is provided, the interns will actually make the presentation of cases.
Participate in Significant Client Advocacy Projects
Under the supervision of a staff attorney, participate in significant client advocacy project such as major litigation, community education, outreach, and other non-case related program activities. Interns will participate in a major advocacy project to permit them to see how broad problems affecting many individuals can be addressed through the legal process.
Ready to make a difference? Check out the full-post on PSJD.