Client Advocacy Intern – Spring 2026

Washington, DC

Description
Be part of a diverse and dynamic team delivering quality services to/for child victims with equity, respect, and care!

Safe Shores – The D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center is an organization striving for excellence as a service provider and as a workplace. Safe Shores values respect, honesty, trustworthiness, professionalism, growth and learning, taking care to give care, innovation, teamwork, and collaboration. The Client Advocacy Intern is a respected and resourceful individual who can work well as a member of our team and is passionate about developing and implementing innovative, effective solutions to help children and families heal.

Working in a child-friendly facility, housing several public and private agencies, the Client Advocacy Intern is responsible for supporting clients and staff within the Client Advocacy Services program. Primary responsibilities include providing supervision and support to children and families at the center, supporting advocacy efforts through research and service delivery, assisting with maintaining program materials and supplies, maintaining a forensically sound, trauma-informed, and client-ready waiting area, and other duties as assigned. Client Advocates and interns are often the first points of contact for victims of child abuse and their caregivers. The focus of victim support and advocacy is to help reduce trauma for the child and family members and to improve case outcomes. This position is a mandated reporter for child abuse and neglect under District of Columbia Statute §4-1321.02.

The internship duration would be at least one semester, starting in Spring 2026, with the potential to extend into Summer 2026. This internship is ideal for undergraduate students available to work in person who need internship hours to complete requirements toward their degree program in the human services arena. Given that this is not paid employment, non-students are ineligible. There is a $2430 / semester food and transportation stipend, paid out monthly during the internship period.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.

• Welcome families to Safe Shores, bringing them upstairs and getting them settled into the playroom. Sit with children in the playroom as needed.
• Ensure client waiting spaces and playroom are tidied between appointments by making sure games and toys are orderly, clean, and in good condition.
• Provide support to child and family during the forensic interview process; engage children in developmentally tailored, forensically sound, and trauma-informed activities.
• Engage in self-reflective critique of their own interactions with the children (and caregivers, when applicable) and produce write-ups reflecting their observations and conclusions.
• Provide children and families with snacks and drinks.
• Prepare clothing bags for children as assigned.
• Administer Outcome Measurement System (OMS) surveys to caregivers after intakes with Client Advocates.
• Provide support and supervision during client groups as needed.
• Research local programs and other resources to develop materials and information that will meet the needs of current and future clients.
• Make phone calls to outside agencies and clients on behalf of Safe Shores’ Client Advocacy Services Program.
• Provide accurate responses to children and families’ questions as they arise and/or consult as needed to seek information.
• Collaborate with Client Advocacy Services staff and supervisors and communicate proactively.
• Observe at least three (3) forensic interviews and explore the developmental dynamics of forensic interviewing with a Forensic Interviewer.
• Observe the Multi-Disciplinary Team (Metropolitan Police Department, Child and Family Services Agency, United States Attorney’s Office, Office of the Attorney General, Children’s National Medical Center, and The DC Children’s Advocacy Center) as they observe forensic interviews, noting dynamics of the team.
• Assist Client Advocacy Services staff in inventorying, stocking, and maintaining all program supplies and materials.
• Participate in regular individual supervision, team meetings, trainings, and other meetings as required.
• Assist with data entry as assigned.
• Assist in the implementation of Safe Shores’ seasonal drives, as assigned.
• Support the development and sustainment of Safe Shores’ Caregiver Support Group, as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements
Education, Experience and Essential Qualifications:

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must be enrolled in a bachelor’s level degree-seeking educational program related to children’s services, family sciences, human services, advocacy, psychology, mental health, clinical services, or a related degree program which requires internship hours as part of coursework.
• At least one year of experience working, volunteering, or interning in a professional setting.
• Availability to commit to a minimum of 16 hours per week.
• Demonstrates capacity to provide trauma-informed, client-centered, and culturally responsive services.
• Demonstrates strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills through the ability to handle complaints, mediate disputes, resolve grievances and conflicts, and negotiate with others.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks to maximize results and ensure deadlines are met.
• Ability to be a self-starter and work independently.
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and collaborate with a wide range of professionals including law enforcement, social services, and medical and mental health providers.
• Ability and willingness to establish and maintain positive working relationships.
• Ability to be flexible, adjust to a quickly changing schedule and handle distractions and interruptions.
• Knowledge and understanding of cultural diversity and ability to exhibit sensitivity in dealing with people of varied backgrounds, beliefs, and abilities.
• Excellent communication skills, positive attitude, and professional demeanor and attitude.
• Knowledge of local community resources and programs.
• Energy and enthusiasm for helping and working directly with children; commitment to children’s advocacy center mission/model.
• High level of comfort with technology and proficiency with MS Office applications and the internet; excellent writing skills.
• Ability to successfully pass Child Protection Registry clearance and criminal background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with children and families.
• Formal training and/or certification as a victim advocate or crisis counselor.
• Oral and written Spanish language skills preferred.

COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Must be PC proficient and able to thrive in a fast-paced setting. Must have strong experience with Microsoft Suite of applications.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the intern is regularly required to use hands to touch or feel a computer, keyboard, monitor, telephone, Smart Phone, and talk or hear when interacting with employees. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk and sit, sometimes on the floor with children. The employee may regularly lift and /or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Spring 2026 Undergraduate Intern

Job Description

The Death Penalty Information Center (DPI) is seeking a Spring 2026 Undergraduate Intern to provide general support to the Center’s small staff through research and writing projects. 

Applicants should be detail-oriented and have a strong interest in the Center’s work of serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment. The Fall 2025 Undergraduate Intern should be a strong writer and researcher with a basic understanding of Microsoft Excel. They will work with various staff members on content for DPI’s website and reports, and provide occasional administrative support.

They will be working part-time and hours and schedule are flexible, but we prefer interns to work during normal work hours (M-F, 9-5pm ET). We are willing to work with your college or university for internship credit. Social Sciences, Communications, Criminal Justice/Criminology, Pre-Law, Data Analytics/Science, Computer Science, or Graphic Design (for Social Media Intern) other related field of study preferred. Start date and end date are flexible, but we hope interns would start in January. If you have questions, please contact Anne Holsinger at aholsinger@deathpenaltyinfo.org. These positions are unpaid, but DPI will work with you to obtain course credit for the internship, if desired.

DPI strongly encourages applications from historically disadvantaged groups, including formerly incarcerated people, Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women.

How To Apply

Applications are due ASAP but by November 21st, 2025. Please send a cov­er let­ter not­ing your expe­ri­ence and/​or inter­est in cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment (includ­ing pre­ferred hours) and a resume in a sin­gle PDF to internships@​deathpenaltyinfo.​org. Please address your cov­er let­ter to Anne Holsinger, DPI’s Managing Director. Indicate in your email sub­ject line that you are apply­ing for the General Undergraduate Internship.

Spring 2026 Research and Data InternJob Description
The Death Penalty Information Center (DPI) is seeking an undergraduate or graduate student for our Spring 2026  Research and Data  internship. The Research and Data intern will work on a variety of projects related to DPI’s Death Penalty Census, website, and information architecture. The Research and Data  intern may also be responsible for conducting basic research on relevant topics, updating and creating website content, and short writing projects, as needed. Some possible projects include: 

• Restructuring DPI’s digital archive of case files
• Researching updates for DPI’s Death Penalty Census and entering relevant data into the Census database
• Digitizing records
• Assisting with research for upcoming reports or website updates (familiarity with the legislative process is a plus)
• Assisting with DPI’s automated data collection (knowledge of Python and or R is preferred) 

Applicants should have an interest in the Center’s work of serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment, and be comfortable with a small office environment. Hours and schedule are flexible as we are open to full-time and part-time interns. However, we prefer interns to work during normal work hours (M-F, 9-5pm ET). We also prefer candidates who are available to work a hybrid schedule, with 2-3 days per week in-person in our office in downtown Washington, DC. The office is Metro-accessible on the red, orange, blue, and silver lines. We are willing to work with your college or university for internship credit. Social Sciences, Criminal Justice/Criminology, Library Science, or other related field of study preferred. Start date and end date are flexible, but we hope interns would start in January 2026. Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply. If you have questions, please contact Anne Holsinger at aholsinger@deathpenaltyinfo.org. 

DPI strongly encourages applications from historically disadvantaged groups, including Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women. 

How To Apply
Applications are due by November 21st, 2025. If you wish to apply, please send a cov­er let­ter not­ing your expe­ri­ence and/​or inter­est in cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment (includ­ing pre­ferred hours) and a resume in a sin­gle PDF to internships@​deathpenaltyinfo.​org. Please address your cov­er let­ter to Anne Holsinger, DPI’s Managing Director. Include ​“Research and Data Intern” in the email subject line.

Intern, Intake Program (Spring)
Location: Washington, DC
Scholarship Amount: $2,585
Closing Date: November 24, 2025 at 5pm

This internship is for Spring 2026 and will be 12 weeks in duration. Interns at Legal Aid DC have the unique opportunity to receive substantive assignments that will have an immediate impact on our clients. Legal Aid will help Spring semester interns receive course credit for their internships. Interns work primarily out of Legal Aid’s offices in NW DC, with the option to perform some work remotely if approved by their supervisor. Interns may also work out of our SE office based on organizational needs. Spring interns should expect to work at least 12 hours per week.

The Intake Intern will be part of the Intake Unit and assist in conducting and processing intakes received from Applicants. The Intake Intern will also assist with other tasks assigned by various staff across all of Legal Aid’s practice areas, including, but not limited to composing letters, review assigned court dockets for follow up action; file court documents electronically or in person, assist with document gathering and organization, request interpreters for scheduled meetings, and request document translations through third party provider and provide support to various outreach partnership events. The Intake Intern will be expected to be able to work independently; however, support and supervision will be provided by the Intake Program Director and a member of the Intake Unit.

Responsibilities:

• Provide client intake support by receiving and processing inquiries and requests for assistance across all of Legal Aid’s practice areas.
• Provide administrative support across all of Legal Aid’s practice areas.
• Assist in developing Intake material for internal use.
• Interact with clients, witnesses, and experts to gather information and provide support as needed.
• Collaborate with staff from across all Legal Aid’s practice areas

IRC internships give interns the opportunity to work directly with humanitarian immigrants to support them in accomplishing tasks needed to live successfully in the U.S. We offer 13 unique internships that provide a wide variety of opportunities to gain direct exposure to the humanitarian sector.

The IRC was founded at the behest of Albert Einstein in 1933 to assist people fleeing from persecution. Since then, the IRC has grown and works all over the world providing humanitarian support. In Silver Spring, the IRC works with newcomers to help them get situated and become self-sufficient members of their new community.  

I’ve listed the titles and a description of each internship that is recruiting below. You can find the full description by going to the IRC Careers page and filtering by City (Silver Spring) and Employee Category (Intern). Prospective interns will use the same link to apply.

·       Anti-Trafficking: The Anti-Trafficking Intern will work in close coordination with the case management teams to serve survivors of human trafficking who are struggling to navigate various systems to access resources and services.

·       Walk-In Casework: This team provides 8 months of case management to humanitarian immigrants. The services include providing monthly cash assistance, ensuring that clients apply for public benefits such as Medicaid, ensuring that clients apply for social security and enroll in health insurance and ESL classes. 

·       Economic Development:  The Economic Empowerment program assists refugees to become economically self-sufficient by providing career development training and financial coaching. This program assists clients in obtaining education, apprenticeships, jobs, financial coaching and microloans to promote self-sufficiency. The intern will work closely with the Economic Empowerment team to help promote client economic growth and encourage clients to work towards their long-term goals.  

·       Community Engagement: The aim of community engagement is to establish strong, mutually beneficial connections between the community and the IRC in Silver Spring order to garner monetary, in-kind and volunteer resources for refugee clients. The community engagement intern supports the administration of the family mentor program.

·       Development: The development team focuses on securing funding for IRC offices; assisting with donor prospecting, research, data collection and grant management activities.

·       Refugee Barrier Reduction: IRC programming assists refugees to become economically self-sufficient and supports acclimatization within the United States by providing access to casework services. This role will support the IRC’s economic empowerment program in effectively reducing the barriers of humanitarian migrants to achieve self-sufficiency in the United States.

·       Refugee Economic Empowerment: The Economic Empowerment program assists refugees to become economically self-sufficient by placing recently arrived refugees in their first job in the United States.

·       Refugee Employment and Skill-Building: The Refugee Employment and Skill-Building Program aims to reduce barriers to self-sufficiency and employment and assist refugees to secure full-time employment. 

·       Operations: IRC’s Operations Team supports operations functions and provides related administrative support, resulting in a well-functioning, compliant environment for staff, clients, and partners. This is a challenging position that requires strong organization, creative problem-solving, personal initiative, and the ability to work well in a multicultural and fast -paced environment.

·       Refugee Walk-in Services: The Intake program is the first point of contact to all “walk-in” clients that visit the IRC in Silver Spring. We provide fast track enrollment in public benefits and referrals to internal and/or external resources and programs as needed. 

·       Extended Case Management: The Extended Case Management (ECM) team provides case management services to up to 400 new clients each year. The team works directly with humanitarian immigrants resettling in the DC Metro area, including Latin American, African, and Middle Eastern individuals; utilizing a holistic 2Gen household approach for the families served, the team addresses both short-term and long-term barriers to support overall well-being in the US.

·       Refugee Health and Social Integration: The refugee health and social integration intern will work in close coordination with the case management teams to serve refugees and other immigrants who are struggling to navigate various systems to access resources and services.

·       Youth Intern Program: The IRC’s Refugee School Impact Programs and Refugee Youth Mentoring Programs work to support the integration and holistic wellbeing of school aged students who hold a humanitarian immigration status. The overall goals of the mentoring and impact programs are to reinforce a sense of belonging and security within schools and surrounding communities, build students’ confidence in their English and academic abilities, and help student develop graduation and career plans tailored to their unique interests and skills.

All selected interns must undergo and clear a background and reference check in order to intern with the Silver Spring office. We ask that candidates make a $30 donation to help us cover the associated costs. Currently, 87% of our funding goes directly to programming to support our clients, and your help to cover this cost will ensure that no funding is directed away from serving our clients. Instructions will be provided after you have been selected to intern or volunteer. The IRC is not able to sponsor visas.  

The ability to work in-person at least one day per week is required. Internships require a minimum commitment of 15 hours per week. Spring interns are expected to begin their internship by attending an in-person intern orientation on January 26th, 2026, from 9:15AM-3:30PM. The Fall internship terms ends on May 15th, 2026. Please note, the deadline to apply for Spring 2026 internships is January 5, 2026.

Internships with the IRC in Silver Spring are unpaid. Spring 2026 interns may be eligible for per diem reimbursement at the rate of $15/day to offset the costs of food and travel. For information on scholarship opportunities, contact your university or the IRC Silver Spring Community Engagement Coordinator at Michalina.Kulesza@rescue.org.

We currently offer internships during the following semesters: 
Spring: January – May 
Summer: June– August 
Fall: September – December 
Internships are typically posted 2-3 months prior to the anticipated start date. 

Thank you for your attention and please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.

Sincerely,

Michalina Kulesza, M.P.A (she/her) | Community Engagement Coordinator

International Rescue Committee

8737 Colesville Road Suite 1200, Silver Spring, MD 20910

T + 1 518 965 3400 

Like/follow the IRC in Silver Spring on Facebook.

Meet with me!

United Nations (UN) Spring 2026 internship opportunity with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is offering a Spring 2026 internship in its Programmes Coordination Division in Bonn, Germany—a rare opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the world’s leading body supporting the Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, and UN Climate Convention.

About the UNFCCC and the Internship

The UNFCCC secretariat facilitates the global political process to address climate change, helping nations implement the commitments made under the Paris Agreement and related frameworks.

As part of the Programmes Coordination Division, the intern will support efforts to ensure strategic coherence across the UNFCCC’s divisions—Adaptation, Means of Implementation, Mitigation, and Transparency—and contribute to work on Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) pathways for achieving the Paris Agreement goals.

UNFCCC Home Page

Internship Responsibilities

The intern will be involved in various tasks within the Programmes Coordination division described above and will have the opportunity to gain experience in supporting a variety of substantive and operational tasks, from collaboration on analyzing, researching, and producing relevant documents and reports to supporting coordinating and organizing relevant events, data, and information management, as well as engagement activities.

Tasks

• Assist in the preparation of the Senior Director’s outreach activities by providing research
  support and drafting of briefing material or reports as needed.
• Assist meetings, including the preparation of background information and taking notes.
• Assist in the coordination of cross-cutting issues across divisions.
• Assist in the intergovernmental process work on JTWP.
• Assist in the planning and organization of events and meetings.
• Assist in other activities as requested.

Requirements

To apply, you must:

• Be a senior undergraduate or enrolled in a Master’s program.
• Be fluent in English, both in communication and writing skills (knowledge of another UN language is a plus).
• Be studying in a relevant field such as environmental science, economics, law, public policy, public relations, political science/international relations, or related disciplines.

Internship Details

• Location: UNFCCC Headquarters, Bonn, Germany
• Start Date: January 2026
• Duration: 3–6 months (depending on your availability and division needs)
• Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week), in-person
• Compensation: The internship is unpaid, but the UMD Global Fellows program is exploring the possibility of providing a small stipend to help offset expenses.

Apply

Interested students should submit the following to fedglobal@umd.edu by November 14, 2025 (earlier submissions are encouraged):

1. A tailored cover letter outlining your interest in the internship and preferred availability window.
2. Your resume highlighting relevant coursework, skills, and experiences.

If you have questions or would like help refining your materials, stop by the UMD Global/Federal Fellows Office for guidance and feedback.

Summer 2026 Undergraduate Intern, National Prison Project

Remote/Hybrid-Washington D.C.

About the Role
The ACLU seeks a Summer Undergraduate Intern in the National Prison Project of the ACLU’s National office in Washington D.C. This position may be remote or hybrid.

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated undergraduate students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.

The Team:
The National Prison Project works to ensure that conditions in prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, and immigration detention facilities comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and international human rights principles. The Project has successfully litigated on behalf of incarcerated people in more than 25 states. It is the only organization litigating conditions of confinement cases nationwide. Our priorities include reducing overcrowding, improving health care, challenging the use of solitary confinement, and increasing oversight and accountability in prisons, jails, and other places of detention. We also work to reverse the policies that have given the United States the highest incarceration rate in the world and led to extreme over-representation of people of color in the incarcerated population.

What You’ll Do:
The intern will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working with the National Prison Project team. They will learn about creating change through prison reform litigation and advocacy work.

Your Day to Day:

Assisting with the production and distribution of advocacy materials
Conducting factual research and writing regarding the rights of incarcerated people and legislative movement
Gathering current information related to prison and jail conditions
Documenting and tracking complaints received from incarcerated people and responding with informational materials
Providing campaign and litigation support to supervising attorneys
What You’ll Bring:

Completed first year of an undergraduate degree
A strong interest in the rights of incarcerated people and a commitment to civil rights
Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently
Excellent research, writing, and communication skills
Strong computer skills, particularly web-based research including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel)
Future ACLU’ers Will:

Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts
Internship Logistics

Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship can be remote or hybrid and based in our Washington D.C. office.
Time Commitment: Summer internships require a full-time (35 hours/week) commitment.
Internship Duration: Summer internships span 10 consecutive weeks with a start date of May 26 or June 8.
Stipend: A stipend is available for those students who are lawfully authorized to work. Students who receive outside funding are eligible for a partial stipend to bring their total funding up to the level of the ACLU’s stipend amount for the summer. Undergraduate interns receive a stipend amount $20/hour (stipends are taxed)

Summer 2026 Undergraduate Intern, Trone Center for Justice and Equality

Remote/Hybrid-New York City

About the Role

The ACLU seeks a Summer Undergraduate Intern in the Legal Department’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality of the ACLU’s National office in New York City. This position can be remote or hybrid.

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated legal students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.

The Team:

The ACLU’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality focuses on America’s issues around crime, punishment, and racial justice. These three issues are constantly intersecting and the implications for social and economic success in communities of color are hanging in the balance. As a result race and class permeate the entire criminal justice system, and today robust discussions about race in America are bringing issues of racial justice into the spotlight. This is a critical time in the fight to advance racial justice and to truly reform the criminal legal system. The Trone Center contains five Projects/Programs working towards these goals: the Capital Punishment Project, the National Prison Project, the Racial Justice Program, Criminal Law Reform Project, and the John Adams Project.

What You’ll Do:

The Trone Center for Justice and Equality is seeking a law student intern to work on the issues it addresses, including the following: seeking to end excessively harsh criminal justice policies that result in mass incarceration, over-criminalization, and racial injustice; fighting for nationwide reforms to pretrial detention and surveillance, police practices, public defense systems, disproportionate sentencing, and prosecutorial abuses of authority in the name of public safety; challenging the unfairness and arbitrariness of capital punishment while working towards the ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty; improving conditions for people in prisons, jails, and detention centers and increasing oversight and accountability in places of detention; and confronting racial discrimination in education, housing, fair lending, policing, and the criminal justice system. The intern will be responsible for conducting legal research and writing support to the Center Director and Staff Attorney. The intern will also work on other Center priorities and issue areas as assigned.

Your Day to Day:

• Conduct research and analysis on issues in the criminal justice and racial justice fields
• Draft communications, memos, and presentations
• Documenting and tracking complaints received from incarcerated people and responding with informational materials
• Assist the Legal Operations team in department-wide initiatives, trainings, and compliance
• Support the Trone Center and the work of the Trone Center Director and Special Assistant

What You’ll Bring:

• Completed at least two years of an undergraduate degree
• Demonstrated commitment to the issues on which the Trone Center for Justice and Equality works
• Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team
• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks and see projects through to completion
• Strong computer skills, particularly web-based research including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel)

Future ACLU’ers Will:

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

Internship Logistics

• Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship may be remote or hybrid and based in our New York City office.
• Time Commitment: Summer internships require a full time (35 hour/week) commitment.
• Internship Duration: Summer internships span 10 consecutive weeks with a start date of May 26 or June 8.
• Stipend: A stipend is available for those students who are lawfully authorized to work. Undergraduate interns receive a stipend amount $20/hour (stipends are taxed)