INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: THE INNOCENCE PROJECT

PLEASE NOTE: This opportunity is listed for reference only. The deadline to apply has passed.

This is an unpaid internship opportunity from outside the Rockefeller Center.

Position Type: Internship - unpaid

Location: New York, NY

Sector: Non-Profit, Advocacy, Law

Start Date: Summer 2019

Wage or benefits: Unpaid

Time Commitment: 40 hours per week for 10 weeks beginning in May or June. Time frame and schedule are flexible.

Desired Class Year: Open to sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate students – minimum of two years of college-level coursework

Desired Major or Interest: Open to all majors

Application Deadline: Rolling basis

Organization website: http://www.innocenceproject.org

Brief Description of the organization:

The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University to assist the wrongly convicted who could be proven innocent through DNA testing. The Innocence Project's groundbreaking use of DNA technology to free innocent people has provided irrefutable proof that wrongful convictions are not isolated or rare events but instead arise from systemic defects. Now an independent nonprofit organization closely affiliated with Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the Innocence Project's mission is to free the staggering numbers of innocent people who remain incarcerated and to bring substantive reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment.

Brief Description of the Intern's role or key qualifications:

The Innocence Project is seeking an intern to work in its Intake Department. The Innocence Project's Intake Department is tasked with weeding through the enormous number of requests for assistance that the Innocence Project receives (approximately 2400 new requests per year) and identifying the cases in which DNA testing has the capacity to prove a defendant's innocence.

The Intake intern will report to the Case Analysts. The internship will involve assisting in evaluating cases for possible representation, including reviewing and summarizing criminal case documents, organizing case files and digital records, and providing assistance with administrative tasks. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated undergraduate student to gain hands-on experience in the early stages of a post-conviction case.

This is an unpaid internship, but letters of recommendation and documentation of the internship for course credit can be provided upon completion.

The Intake intern will gain valuable experience in the early stages of post-conviction work through assistance with the following program-related responsibilities:

• Evaluating cases for possible representation
• Reviewing court documents, including transcripts, police reports, lab reports, and other court documents
• Producing memos

The Intake intern will develop and strengthen writing, analytical, administrative, and research skills in a workplace committed to reforming the criminal justice system. The Intake intern will contribute to other program-related projects as needed.

Qualifications include:

• A minimum of two years of college-level coursework
• A passion for the Innocence Project's work
• Strong writing, analytic, and organizational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Initiative, resourcefulness, and flexibility
• The ability to work with others effectively and efficiently
• Ability to handle confidential client information with complete discretion
• Previous experience in the field of criminal justice is a plus.

How to apply:

To apply, please visit Paycom.

In your cover letter, please include your interest in the mission of the Innocence Project, your desire to pursue a career in the nonprofit and/or criminal justice reform sector, and your qualifications as they relate to this job description. Information submitted through this secure site is kept confidential. Due to the large volume of applications, we are unable to give applicant updates by phone.

This is an unpaid internship from outside the Rockefeller Center. Such opportunities are posted in an effort to help students find a leave-term internship experience in public policy or a social sciences related area. Such postings do not constitute an endorsement by the Center of the political objectives of any one person or organization.