Well, I guess I can safely say that when it comes to sending e-mails about internship opportunities, AALDEF is guilty of this:


I kid (sort of). AALDEF is great, their people are great, which is why we work with them so much, and they obviously have a ton of opportunities. So if you are really into what AALDEF does, or have four hours to kill, then read the rest of this entry.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education. For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Internships for the summer of 2009 are available in the following program areas:

• Anti-Trafficking Initiative, legal research on the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as outreach, community education, and advocacy on the rights of women and youth trafficking survivors.
• Community Health Care Initiative, legal research, as well as community education and outreach in the areas of immigration, government benefits, language rights, and health care access;
• Economic Justice for Workers, litigation on behalf of garment, restaurant, and other low wage workers;
• Educational Equity and Youth Rights, legal services, policy work, community education, research and litigation concerning educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action and post 9-11 hate violence and racial targeting;
• Housing Justice Project, direct legal services, community outreach/education, and litigation on housing and land use issues affecting low-income Asian immigrant communities;
• Immigrant Access to Justice, litigation, legal services, and organizing/outreach with communities impacted by 9-11, including special interest detainees, special registration, voluntary interviews by the government, the 9-11 absconder initiative, and local and state enforcement of immigration laws;
• New Jersey Asian American Legal Project, community outreach, education, and legal services to Asian Americans in New Jersey, as well as community organizing and litigation on employment-related claims for Asian immigrant workers in New Jersey.
• South Asian Workers Project, direct legal services on employment-related claims to South Asian immigrant workers, as well as community education and advocacy; and
• Voting Rights, legal research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection Clause challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, and state and local election reform; produce reports and organize public forums.
  

Description of Summer Internship Program:
The summer program is ten weeks, from approximately June 1st through August 7th. Interns work full time and are supervised by attorneys in specific program areas. Interns will work on litigation, particularly legal research and writing, legal and policy advocacy, community outreach and education, and client intakes. Each program area differs in emphasis. Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. AALDEF also provides trainings in housing law, naturalization procedures, and immigration law. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding. Academic credit can be arranged.

To Apply:

• Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to be received by AALDEF on or before Friday, January 30, 2009 at the address below. Please indicate the top three program areas on which you would be interested in focusing. Fax or email applications are acceptable.
• Any bilingual ability should be stated in the application. Bilingual ability is helpful but not required. Gujarati, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, and Urdu-speaking applicants are especially urged to apply.
• Applications will be reviewed upon receipt until the January 30, 2009 deadline. Interviewing will take place in February, however, some interviews may be conducted on a rolling basis prior to that time.
  
  Summer Internship Search (Legal)
  Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
  New York , New York 10013-2815
  Fax: 212-966-4303
  Email: info@aaldef.org
  

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932 x212 or jweng@aaldef.org
Ivy Suriyopas at 212-966-5932 x235 or isuriyopas@aaldef.org
*Please do not email applications to jweng@aaldef.org or isuriyopas@aaldef.org


The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy and community education. Current program priorities include economic justice for workers, immigrants’ rights, voting rights and civic participation, human trafficking, language rights, affirmative action, the elimination of anti-Asian violence and police brutality, youth rights and educational equity, and the assistance of low-income Chinatown residents and workers affected by 9-11. For more information about AALDEF, visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. AALDEF also provides trainings in housing law, naturalization procedures, and immigration law. The summer program is ten (10) weeks, beginning approximately June 1st through August 7th. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding and work-study funds may also be available. Academic credit can be arranged.

• Voting Rights Intern: Responsibilities include coordinating voter registration drives, researching the Voting Rights Act, anti-Asian voter discrimination, bilingual ballots, and Asian American political opinion; advocating on state and local election reform proposals; developing reports and organizing forums on the Asian American vote.
• NJ Asian American Legal Project Intern: Responsibilities include conducting community outreach and presentations with Asian immigrant workers and community members in New Jersey ; performing client intake and legal interpretation, and; coordinating client referrals. Bilingual ability in Gujarati, Hindi, or Korean is highly preferred.
• Youth Rights and Educational Equity Intern: Responsibilities include community outreach and presentations with Asian American youth groups, public education policy research, assistance with client intakes and general support for projects on educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action, and post 9-11 hate violence and racial targeting.
• Office Assistant: Responsibilities include data entry, organizing press clippings, answering phones, doing mailings, assisting with fundraising and other events, and performing general clerical duties. Other responsibilities include providing support for community education and outreach projects and acting as an interpreter/translator. Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs are helpful. Bilingual ability in an Asian language is desirable but not required.
  

Requirements:

• Candidates must be detail-oriented and possess strong writing skills. Spoken and written knowledge of Korean, Bangla, Chinese, or another Asian language is a plus.
• Qualified applicants should indicate which internship they are applying for and send a resume and cover letter by Friday, February 13 to:
  
  Summer Undergraduate Intern Search
  Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
  New York , New York 10013
  fax: 212.966.4303
  or email: info@aaldef.org
  

For more information, contact Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932, ext. 212 or jweng@aaldef.org .


The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), a 35-year old New York-based civil rights organization, is collaborating with Pfizer Inc to seek qualified law students interested in obtaining a unique experience in a corporate legal environment.

Pfizer Inc, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, believes that an inclusive workplace leverages the diversity of its customers, markets and colleagues to the mutual advantage of the company and the individual. AALDEF is assisting Pfizer in the recruitment of highly qualified Asian American law students who are considering careers in corporate legal departments.

Student interns will work in a team environment on a wide range of summer projects in such areas as employment, intellectual property, commercial transactions, regulatory and international law. This summer internship will not lead to a permanent position at the completion of the program or immediately after graduation. Pfizer Inc., however, provides student interns with mentors who will provide professional guidance and career counseling.

Applicants must be enrolled as a first-year or second-year law student in an accredited law school and have a minimum college Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. This internship program runs for approximately 10-12 weeks with a stipend to be provided.

Students interested in being considered for the Pfizer Inc./AALDEF Corporate Legal Internship Program should send a cover letter, legal writing sample, and a resume with the names of two references, one of which must be an academic reference to the following address:

Pfizer Inc / AALDEF Corporate Legal Internship Program
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York , NY 10013-2815
Fax: 212.966.4303
Email: info@aaldef.org

AALDEF must receive all applications no later than Friday, January 30, 2009.

Applicants who would also like to be considered for a summer legal internship at AALDEF should so indicate in their cover letters.