Join us as a law fellow or intern.
The DC Volunteer Lawyers Project is a dynamic, rapidly-growing legal services organization, started in 2008 to serve low-income DC residents in family law cases. We represent domestic violence victims in cases to obtain civil protection orders (CPOS), as well as in family law cases involving custody, divorce, and child support matters. We also serve as court-appointed Guardians ad litem for children who are the subject of high-conflict custody cases.
Law Fellowships
DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) seeks public interest law fellows to represent domestic violence victims and at-risk children. The fellowships are for recent law school graduates and are one-year positions, funded by law schools or other private source(s). The fellowships start each fall in September.
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP: After a training period, fellows will provide direct representation to DCVLP clients in DC Superior Court, under the supervision of our experienced supervising attorneys; and will also advise clients at our weekly Domestic Violence Resource Clinic.
LITIGATION EXPERIENCE: A fellowship with DCVLP provides intensive litigation training. Under a DC court rule, DCVLP fellows may represent clients as soon as they take a bar exam, and may start litigating CPO cases soon after completing our fall training program. Fellows typically litigate between 25-35 protection order cases during their tenure. Fellows will also represent domestic violence survivors in family law cases, which may involve discovery, motions and trial preparation. In addition, Fellows will advocate for the best interests of children as court-appointed Guardians ad litem. A fellowship with DCVLP is an excellent opportunity to learn trial skills while helping low-income families achieve safety and stability.
TO APPLY: This position is full time, spanning September through August. DCVLP does not provide a salary for law fellows, so applicants should have their own funding source(s). Interested candidates should send a cover letter (indicating when you will take the bar exam) and resume to fellows@dcvlp.org.
College Intern Program
The DC Volunteers Lawyers Project (DCVLP) is searching for current college students and recent college graduates to join our dedicated staff of lawyers and administrators for a part-time internship in Washington, DC. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with lawyers and contribute to helping domestic violence victims and at-risk children with their legal needs.
No experience necessary. We provide the training which may include an an overview of our services for domestic violence victims and at-risk children, a tour of DC Superior Court, a primer on court procedures and the basics on domestic violence and child advocacy legal issues.
INTERNSHIP DUTIES:
- Attending court hearings at the DC Superior Court, and providing legal and administrative support to the supervising and volunteer attorneys
- Assisting in the case administration of Child Advocacy (Guardian ad Litem) and Domestic Violence cases, including court document management
- Assisting with our annual benefit, Voices Against Violence, held in the spring
- Any additional projects as assigned
REQUIREMENTS:
- Minimum commitment of 10 hours per week (at least two mornings in court)
- Availability to travel to and from DCVLP’s office and the DC Superior Court (both are on the metro line)
- Keen attention to detail and strong organizational, computer, and writing skills
- Positive attitude and ability to deal with sensitive issues
TO APPLY: If you are interested, please email your cover letter and resume to Jaclyn Lahr at jlahr@dcvlp.org. Internships are available for the fall semester (September – December), spring semester (January – May), and the summer (June – August). Internships are unpaid; however, DCVLP may be able to assist you in obtaining academic credit if provided with the required documents. Please note: we are no longer accepting applications for our Fall 2017 internship.
DC Volunteer Lawyers Project
providing pro bono legal assistance and support services to
low-income domestic violence victims and at-risk children
Copyright 2016 - DCVLP | All Rights Reserved
5335 Wisconsin Ave NW Ste 440 | Washington DC 20015-2079 | info@dcvlp.org
Business (202) 885-5542 | Client Info (202) 425-7573 (9am-5pm)
United Way No. 8863 | CFC No. 34927 | Tax ID No. 26-1089584 | Duns 833269363
