2L Summer Internships at a Better Balance
A Better Balance is recruiting current 2L law students for a 2023 summer internship to support our New York City, Southern (Nashville, TN), and Colorado offices, as well as an intern to support other federal and state policy work. All of these positions are virtual, and there may be opportunities to work in person depending on the current pandemic conditions. A Better Balance values the health and safety of our staff, interns, and everyone with whom we work.
An NYC intern will support our New York City office, and can be based anywhere; a Southern Office intern will be based in Nashville, TN; a Colorado intern will be based in Denver, CO. A fourth intern will support other work on federal and state policy, and can be based anywhere. Interns who do not have public interest funding available from their law school will be compensated by ABB.
Organization Description:
A Better Balance, a national nonprofit advocacy organization, uses the power of the law to advance justice for workers, so they can care for themselves and their loved ones without jeopardizing their economic security. Through policy work, strategic litigation and direct legal services, and public education, our expert legal team combats discrimination against pregnant workers and caregivers, and advances fair and supportive workplace policies like paid sick time, paid family and medical leave, predictable and flexible scheduling, and more. When we value the work of providing care, which has long been marginalized due to sexism and racism, our communities and our nation are healthier and stronger. Ensuring families of color have access to strong work-family policies—especially BIPOC workers who are currently the least likely to have access to these policies due to centuries of institutionalized racism, systemic barriers to economic mobility, and pervasive discrimination—is a core principle of ABB’s work.
The organization has fought for and won new paid leave policies, important pregnancy and caregiver protections, breastfeeding accommodations, inclusive protections for all families, including LGBTQ families, and victories on other economic justice issues throughout the country. We are also leaders in tackling the COVID-19 health crisis for workers by advancing stronger emergency and permanent policy measures as well as providing critical direct services and Know Your Rights public education. Our advocacy work and legal efforts have gained national recognition in dozens of outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
We are dedicated to lifting up the voices of our clients and those most directly affected by our policy work and we have a particular focus on centering gender and racial justice in our work. Our free and confidential legal helpline provides legal assistance and information to low-wage workers and is a critical component to advancing our mission. The call volume to our helpline has spiked dramatically since the beginning of the COVID-19 public health crisis. We have provided thousands of workers with information
about their rights related to sick leave, paid family and medical leave, and workplace accommodations in the midst of this crisis.
Intern Qualifications:
· Demonstrated commitment to work/family law and policy, workers’ rights, reproductive justice, women’s rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and/or advocacy for low-income individuals
· Excellent written and oral communication, advocacy, research, and analytic skills
· Self-motivated with demonstrated problem solving, prioritizing, time management, team-building, and organizational skills
Areas of work may include (depending on A Better Balance’s needs at the time of the internship):
· Conducting legal research and writing to support A Better Balance’s policy advocacy, direct services, and/or litigation work
· Conducting intakes with callers to A Better Balance’s free and confidential legal helpline
· Assisting with drafting legislation and supporting materials
· Drafting know-your-rights materials to support A Better Balance’s community education efforts and assisting with know-your-rights trainings for workers and/or advocates
· Participating in legislator education efforts, campaign rallies, and/or public hearings to advance public policies benefiting working families
· Other tasks as needed to support A Better Balance’s various advocacy efforts
Compensation:
Interns who do not have public interest funding available from their law school will be compensated by ABB at a rate of $15/hour for up to 10 weeks (full time). Anyone who receives funding from their school equivalent to less than $15/hour may be eligible for supplementary funding from ABB, provided such supplementary funding is consistent with any other applicable funding requirements.
How to Apply:
Please e-mail a resume and cover letter with a subject line as follows “[FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME] 2022 Summer Internship Application” to:
Meghan Racklin, mracklin@abetterbalance.org (New York City);
Kameron Dawson, kdawson@abetterbalance.org (Nashville);
Natalie Petrucci, npetrucci@abetterbalance.org (Colorado); or
Cassandra Gomez, cgomez@abetterbalance.org (Federal/State Policy Work).
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please be sure to specify in your email and cover letter which location(s) you are applying to (New York City, Nashville, Colorado, or Federal).
A Better Balance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, family status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
