TakeRoot Justice, formerly the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center, provides legal, participatory research, and policy support to strengthen the work of grassroots and community-based groups in New York City to dismantle racial, economic and social oppression. TakeRoot employs a unique model of partnership with grassroots and community-based groups. Our partners take the lead in determining the priorities and goals for our work and advance our understanding of justice. This upends the traditional power dynamics between communities and service providers. We believe in a theory of change where short-term and individual successes help build the capacity and power of our partners, who in turn can have longer-term impact on policies, laws, and systems that affect their communities. Our work is done in connection with organizing, building power, and leadership development. Candidates with proficiency in a second language – especially Spanish, East Asian, or South Asian languages – are strongly preferred.
TakeRoot is currently taking applications for interns with our Capacity Building practice area. Capacity Building provides legal advice and assistance to: (i) groups of workers establishing worker-owned cooperative businesses and established worker-owned cooperative businesses in connection with incorporation, governance and other matters; (ii) small businesses in connection with commercial lease review and negotiations; and (iii) grassroots organizations, including nonprofits and unincorporated associations, in connection with incorporation, tax exemption and compliance with corporate, employment, tax and other laws.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND DEADLINES:
The application process is closed for all practice areas except for Capacity Building. Cover letters should explain why the applicant is interested in working with TakeRoot All law school interns must work full time for a minimum of 10 weeks. This internship may require regular night meetings. TakeRoot will work with summer interns who cannot receive funding from their law schools to apply for funding from outside sources and will seek to compensate summer interns who receive little or no outside support, budget permitting.
If you are interested in applying for an internship with our Capacity Building practice area, please apply by following the instructions on this form to submit the following application materials in one PDF to the Internship Committee:
- Application Form
- Letter of interest
- Resume
- Unofficial, current law school transcript
- Writing sample
Please use the subject line: TakeRoot Justice Internship 2020 Application and submit via email to jobs@takerootjustice.org as well as KGSDiversityInternshipProgram@gmail.com by February 8, 2020.
TakeRoot Justice is an equal opportunity employer. TakeRoot encourages applications from people with diverse backgrounds, including women, people of color, immigrants, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ people, people from low-income backgrounds, and people with personal experience with the criminal justice system. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities we serve.