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Criminal Defense Practice Investigative Intern - Summer 2023

Job Description
The Legal Aid Society is built upon one simple but powerful belief that no New Yorker should be denied the right to equal justice. As the primary and oldest public defender in New York City, The Legal Aid Society’s staff zealously deliver justice in every borough, working tirelessly to make our city a better place. We work to protect the rights of the most marginalized and disenfranchised in society. The expansive reach of The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice runs from its dynamic advocacy of clients in court to its presence and partnership in the communities. We have a unique opportunity for those who believe in our mission.
 
The Summer 2023 Investigator Internship is a voluntary, 10-week (June 1, 2023 – August 11, 2023), full-time, in-person, intensive, hands-on program. You are partnered with another investigative interns to conduct field investigations throughout New York City while carrying your own misdemeanor caseload. We will provide you with the tools to succeed and help every New Yorkers in need. The internship begins with robust mandatory trainings in Criminal Defenses, Interviewing Techniques, Constitutional Law, Ethics, Memorializing Interviews, Social Media Research, Discovery Reform, and much more. We have internships spots available in: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island Trial Offices, the Homicide Defense Task Force Unit, Wrongful Conviction Unit, Parole Revocation Unit, and the Criminal Appeals Bureau. These positions require considerable initiative, resourcefulness, creativity, drive, and a strong commitment to criminal defense work.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Locate and interview complainants, witnesses, defendants, and other relevant parties
  • Investigate crime scenes and other relevant locations
  • Document scenes (via photographs, video recording, diagrams or measurements)
  • Create crime scene sketches/diagrams/maps
  • Prepare written summaries of investigation results via our case management system
  • Conduct background checks, internet research, and social media investigations
  • Accompany defense players to crime scenes and relevant locations and assist in their cases
  • Locate and secure surveillance footage from varying locations and buildings
  • Communicate daily with defense team
  • Provide accurate, detailed reports on investigations; as well as maintaining other necessary documents (e.g., chain of custody, witness statements, investigation summaries, etc.)
  • Travel within assigned borough as well as out-of-borough via mass transit
  • Communicate with other members of staff/team to effectively analyze and discuss cases
  • Review detailed and voluminous discovery
  • Locate clients in-person, as needed
  • Serve subpoenas, motions and other legal documents, as needed

Required Documents
Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society)Recruitment Portal.
  • COVER LETTER
  • RESUME

Location
Manhattan - Criminal Defense Practice Office

Requirements
TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS
  • Current Undergraduate and Graduate Students in good standing
  • Commitment to racially and socioeconomically oppressed communities
  • Demonstrated interest in indigent defense
  • Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with all members of the staff
  • Strong writing, research and communication skills
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and think critically
  • No remote investigative positions available
  • This is a voluntary position
  • No stipend available
  • Metro Cards will be provided for field work
Applicants should expect an interview via Zoom or Teams as part of the selection process. Due to the high volume of applications and the competitive hiring process, we will not be able to interview all of the applicants. Some internships assignments are more selective than others. Students will be notified on a rolling basis of their selection into the internship program no later than March 15, 2023.
 
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
 
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.
 
COVID VACCINATION INFORMATION
 
The Legal Aid Society is taking precautions and implementing safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to comply with New York City's requirements concerning Covid-19. All members of the Legal Aid community have a shared responsibility to support and comply with policies and protocols to protect the health and safety of our community. Learn more about our COVID-19 policy by visiting our website.
 
HOW TO APPLY
 
All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org
 
As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth; one’s gender identity may be male, female, neither or both, e.g., non-binary), gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not be distinctively male or female and may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.