Summer 2024 - Legal Intern, Legal

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.

Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

Who you are:

Vera's Legal Department provides comprehensive in-house legal services to the entire organization, including each of its administrative departments, centers, programs, and demonstration projects, and to its Board of Trustees. 

This position will be based in Vera’s New York office in Industry City, Brooklyn. The student will report to the Associate General Counsels and will work with the entire Legal Department to provide legal advice and assistance to the organization. This position will enable the successful applicant to develop their skills as a generalist as discussed below within a collegial legal department.   

What you'll do:

Assist the department’s two Associate General Counsels with ongoing projects

• Conduct research and analysis pertaining to federal, state, and local laws as requested; 
• Editing and compiling pertinent materials on legal topics and organizational initiatives such as procurement, lobbying, and social impact. 

Assist the department’s attorneys (all) with arising research, transactions, and compliance. 

• Perform preliminary legal research on a wide array of legal areas (corporate governance, compliance, intellectual property, tax, etc.) facing 501(c)(3) organizations and related entities; 
• Conduct research and analysis pertaining to federal, state, and local laws as requested; 
• Monitor and track compliance of registration documents such as sales tax exemption certificates and other required filings;  
• Review and help organize documents (electronically and in tangible form) as instructed. 

What qualifications are we looking for?

• Be a currently enrolled 2L law student 
  
• Basic or rudimentary knowledge of what working in-house entails. 
  
• Experience communicating across interdisciplinary departments 
  
• Motivated to work and learn. 
  
• Be able to work quickly and pay attention to detail. 
  
• Familiarity and skill in legal research using Westlaw. 

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring: 

• Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Zoom. 
• Westlaw 

 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.

 

Schedule:

The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 5th and August 11th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.

 

Compensation:

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.

 

How to apply:

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform