March 1st Deadline for Immigration & Customs Enforcement (Memphis) Summer 2017 Internship
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New Orleans Office of the Chief Counsel, Memphis Sub-Office seeks to host a successful and competitive Volunteer Intern Program that provides students with an insight into immigration law from the federal government’s point of view. The Memphis Sub-Office employs 1 Deputy Chief Counsel and 10 Assistant Chief Counsels (ACCs) who represent ICE in administrative removal proceedings before Immigration Judges and provide legal advice to operational components of the agency. The Memphis docket covers four states and consists of more than 10,000 administrative cases from all over the world. ACCs appear in Immigration Court as often as three to four days a week.
The Memphis Sub-Office accepts legal interns on a volunteer basis. In some instances, your law school may allow for school credit based on your employment with DHS through a clinical program or through your school’s Pro Bono program. Your experience working for DHS will provide valuable legal research and writing opportunities and unmatched real-life litigation and courtroom experience to those who are eligible for certification through the Tennessee Bar. All interns are offered the opportunity to attend immigration hearings and even appear in court on behalf of the federal government under the supervision of an experienced attorney. While a class in immigration law is encouraged, it is not necessary. We offer a training and orientation program to provide a basis for the student’s experience with our office. The experience gained through our office’s intern program will greatly enhance a law student’s resume and aid law students in their future endeavors. In fact, many of the agency’s recent new attorney hires have served as legal interns.
During the school year, we seek students who are able to work 15-20 hours per week. In the summer, we are looking for a time commitment of 30-40 hours per week. We will work with the student to accommodate any and all classroom obligations. Before commencing employment with ICE, all applicants must successfully complete a background investigation, which includes a credit check, security clearance, and drug testing. All applicants must be United States citizens. We are looking for assertive and hard-working students with a thirst for knowledge.
The 2017 Summer Volunteer Intern Program is expected to begin in May of 2017. All interested law students should submit a resume and writing sample to OPLAMemInterns@ice.dhs.gov no later than Wednesday March 1, 2017.
Questions regarding the Volunteer Intern Program should be directed to Assistant Chief Counsel, Ashley Palumbo Kunzman or Deputy Chief Counsel Brandon Josephsen at (901)-544- 0630. Ms. Kunzman can also be contacted via e-mail at Ashley.P.Kunzman@ice.dhs.gov. For additional information about ICE, please visit our web site at http://www.dhs.gov.
