Public Service Internship in the Family Court with Senior Partners for Justice Spring 2013
Senior Partners for Justice, a unique pro bono initiative at the Volunteer Lawyers Project, is pleased to offer an internship program for law students who want to provide critical assistance to low-income clients while gaining hands-on experience in the family court.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Interns are placed in the Suffolk, Middlesex, and Norfolk Probate and Family Courts, working directly alongside courthouse staff. This is an unpaid, non-credit internship, but it offers invaluable experience and a flexible schedule that can fit around other commitments.We ask interns to spend at least one full day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or two half days, preferably mornings, at their courthouse each week.
The nature of the internship is a little different at each court:
• At Suffolk (located near North Station and Government Center), interns staff the very busy Register’s office and have the chance to help the Lawyer for the Day and observe court proceedings.
• At Middlesex (located in East Cambridge, at the Lechmere stop of the Green Line), interns rotate between different departments, gaining broad exposure to areas including Divorce and Paternity.
• At Norfolk (located in Canton, accessible only by car), interns work directly with the court staff members who assist unrepresented litigants, and they have a chance for more one-on-one interaction at a less busy court.
Orientation for the Spring 2013 Internship will take place the week of January 28th. The actual program will begin the follow week of February 4th and conclude the week of April 8th.
All participants in the internship program will receive support from the Senior Partners staff and invitations to trainings, luncheons, and other events through Senior Partners and VLP. It has been strongly suggested by students in the past that incoming interns take a family law training with our office. This training would provide a foundation for the work you will be doing in the courts. The list of family law trainings is available on our website at www.vlpnet.org.