California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) provides free legal assistance to low-income people in twenty-one California communities, including Monterey, Salinas, Watsonville, Gilroy and Santa Cruz. Our organization was founded over 50 years ago to provide legal services to farm workers. Since then we have expanded our work. We currently assist farm workers and other low-income persons in these five priority areas: 1) Labor and employment, 2) Housing, 3) Education, 4) Civil rights, and 5) Family security, such as public benefits.
CRLA provides legal service to low-income clients in the area of housing, employment, any denial of public benefits, education and some health issues.
Program Information Remote Only
General Description of what students will be doing at this Site:
Assist with client interviews over the phone. Draft interview memos and present cases to attorney or case handlers
Working under the supervision of passionate legal advocates, student interns learn firsthand about issues affecting the community and immerse themselves in impactful legal work. As interns, students learn how to conduct effective interviews with new clients, gaining crucial interviewing and communication skills, and also learning how to spot important legal issues. After interviewing clients, students consult with attorneys or experienced Community Workers (paralegals) to discuss the relevant local, state, and/or federal law, and then communicate this information in a comprehensible manner to clients. Throughout the internship, students are encouraged to remain as involved as possible in casework, assisting with research, document review, and drafting letters to opposing parties and clients. Students may also receive project assignments focused on community outreach or community education, and invited to attend community meetings and/or workshops hosted by our office.
new client intake, gathering information, contacting clients, creating case memo, and writing closing letters
Key Responsibilities:
Interns are primarily responsible for: interviewing clients, consulting with legal advocates, drafting case memoranda, reporting on cases during the office's weekly Case Review, conducting legal and/or supporting research, completing casework, and assisting with outreach and/or other projects.
Desired Intern Characteristics:
An ideal intern candidate would meet the following characteristics: strong academic performance, strong writing skills, bilingual, effective communication skills in both English and Spanish, efficient, reliable, compassionate, interested in learning more about the law and/or pursuing a legal career after graduation, willingness to learn about different areas of law, and interest in learning about nonprofit legal work and case management.
Special Considerations:
None.
Interprofessional opportunities available for the student:
In assisting clients, our office regularly interacts with: private sector attorneys, state agencies, local social services agencies, County health and/or social workers, medical professionals, business owners, and community leaders. Interns experience the interactions between these agencies and individuals and our own organization, and are encouraged to network when appropriate.