ABA Death Penalty Representation Project Spring Internship

ABA Death Penalty Representation Project Spring Internship

American Bar Association

Position Type: Internship (Fall or Spring Part-Time)

Location: Washington, District of Columbia (United States)

The ABA created the Project in 1986 in order to better inform the bar and public about the lack of representation available to death row inmates. We address this urgent need by recruiting competent, volunteer attorneys, offering counsel training and assistance, and working for systemic reform to ensure that individuals facing a sentence of death are represented at every stage of the proceedings by competent counsel.

The ABA Death Penalty Representation Project provides unpaid internships for Fall, Spring and Summer semester undergraduate students. In the Fall and Spring semesters, internships are full or part time (15 to 20+ hours per week) and in the Summer, internships are full time (35 to 40 hours per week). Interns can complete an internship for course credit. Previous experience with or knowledge of the death penalty is not required.

Internship projects could include:

1.Recruitment: One of the Project’s primary goals is to find representation for death row prisoners who are without counsel. This effort requires an extensive nationwide firm-recruiting process, and the undergraduate intern assists with reaching and contacting firms across the country, creating and updating computer databases with firm information, and sending out invitations to these firms for the Project’s recruitment meetings. The intern assists in tracking potential recruits.

2.Prisoner requests for assistance: The Project receives hundreds of letters from prisoners looking for legal counsel. Using materials provided, the intern will be asked to research the prisoners’ cases and determine whether the Project can help.

3.Website: The Project maintains a website that contains resources for attorneys representing capital defendants. Interns are responsible for keeping the site records updated and posting new items. A working knowledge of website maintenance and social media is helpful.

4.Editing: The Project maintains thousands of resource materials from both national and international sources. The intern will be asked to edit and format these documents and keep detailed accounts of all files. Attention to detail is of the utmost importance.

5. Other duties as assigned: Interns are encouraged to explore areas of interest to them while interning at the Project, and creativity and initiative are highly valued. Interns are expected to be self-starters, motivated, and interested in contributing significantly to the Project and its mission.

Desired Class Level(s):                 Sophomore, Junior, Senior

Duration:            12-14 weeks

Approximate Hours Per Week:                15 to 20

Qualifications: Interest in the death penalty or criminal justice, attention to detail, and strong writing skills required. Social media management in a professional setting is a plus.