About NIJC 

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC’s team of over 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

NOTE:

– Please submit PILI law student spring intern applications for the National Immigrant Justice Center directly through NIJC’s website. On October 15, 2026, you will be able to access the application via our website: https://immigrantjustice.org/about-nijc/careers-internships/

– Please submit PILI graduate fellow applications through the PILI website starting October 15, 2026.

Job Summary: 

PILI Interns and Fellows work on a wide variety of cases, including asylum applications and hearings, deportation hearings and appeals, immigrant visa petitions, issues related to unaccompanied immigrant children, detained immigrant assistance, and related matters. Interns and Fellows work closely with clients from many different countries and cultures and may have the opportunity to appear in court. Fluency in a relevant second language is strongly preferred. NIJC strongly encourages applications from people with lived experiences in immigrant communities, members of marginalized communities, and individuals from communities that are underrepresented in the legal profession. Individuals with a significant interest in immigration issues but with limited prior experience will be strongly considered.

2027 Spring Law Student Internships

NIJC is approved to host two law student interns during the Spring 2027 semester, one with the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative and one with the Children’s Protection Project. When applying please indicate if you are interested in the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative, the Children’s Protection Project, or both.  

LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative: also called the LGBTQ Project–represents low-income, noncitizen LGBTQ community members before the Chicago and Indianapolis Immigration Courts, Chicago Asylum Office, and other USCIS offices. The LGBTQ Project also represents people living with HIV. Most clients are seeking asylum in removal (immigration court) proceedings, but interns should expect to gain exposure to a variety of defensive and affirmative forms of relief, including T/U-Visa petitions, VAWA, and family-based petitions. Interns can expect to draft declarations, translate documents, compile country conditions research, and work on motions and legal briefs as needed. Because 80-90% of the LGBTQ Project’s clients speak Spanish only, Spanish language proficiency is strongly preferred. Applicants of all backgrounds are welcome, but respect for and dedication to advocating for the LGBTQIA+ immigrant community is a must.

This is a hybrid position with in-office work in our Chicago office required.

Children’s Protection Project: provides representation to immigrant youth before USCIS and the immigration court. The majority of our clients are unaccompanied children who were previously released from government shelters to sponsors in our service area. Our team mostly focuses on asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, in addition to other forms of humanitarian immigration relief. Interns will engage in client preparation for asylum interviews and immigration court hearings, including evidence gathering, affidavit preparation, country conditions research; miscellaneous client contact; and legal research to support evolving matters in the legal representation of immigrant youth. Applicants should be ready to work with youth of a variety of ages and in a trauma-informed manner. Spanish language proficiency is strongly preferred.

This is a hybrid position with in-office work in our Chicago office required.

2027 Summer Graduate Fellowships

NIJC is approved to host up to 2 graduate fellows. Project placement will be determined during the application process. NIJC projects include: Asylum, Children’s Protection Project, Counter-Trafficking Project, Detention Project, Immigrant Legal Defense Project, LGBTQ Immigrants Rights Initiative, Litigation and Policy team.

When applying, please indicate your project of interest and whether you are available for in-person work. Please apply by submitting a cover letter and resume through the PILI website.