The MIRA Coalition, supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, recently launched the Immigration Advocate Legal Helpline for service providers in Massachusetts. This helpline number is open to all Massachusetts-based providers serving immigrants and refugees and accepts voicemails 24/7. Through this helpline, MIRA aims to provide community-based organizations with answers to the most commonly asked legal questions. By building on the community knowledge, providers will be able to better serve the immigrant and refugee population.

MIRA’s Immigrant Assistance Services (IAS) program provides targeted legal and case management support to newly arrived immigrants residing in Massachusetts’ emergency assistance (EA) family shelter program. Eligible families receive a free legal consultation with an experienced immigration attorney, assistance with immigration applications including work permits, and support around benefit eligibility and enrollment.

MIRA is looking for an intern to support these legal programs for Spring 2025. Interns are asked to commit to work a minimum of 15 hours per week. The ideal candidate would be available from early/mid January through May, however the dates are flexible. The internship will be hybrid, with interns asked to attend legal clinics as needed and assist with work in office. 

Helpline:

  • Listening to voicemails left by callers, recording their contact details and inquiries accurately, and organizing them for review by the Helpline staff.
  • Assisting in managing the online intake form system, including processing submissions, organizing inquiries, and ensuring timely responses from the team.
  • Coordinating callback arrangements for callers with inquiries that require an attorney’s response, ensuring callers are contacted promptly and provided with further instructions.
  • Sending resources via email to callers who seek information or assistance that doesn’t require direct legal counsel.

IAS:

  • Ensure data tracking is accurate and up to date
  • Assist with preparation of year-end reports for the program
  • Assist with logistics in communicating with clients including responding to client inquiries and following up on cases
  • Assist with outreach to potential volunteers
  • Assist with logistics and set-up of our legal aid clinics and staff those clinics as needed (interns will receive ample training)
  • Perform other duties as requested.
  • Applicants must feel comfortable working with diverse populations and conducting outreach. Bilingual candidates, especially in Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole, are particularly encouraged to apply. The internship is unpaid, but may be used for course credit where applicable. 

To apply, send a résumé and cover letter to Pricilla Cadet at pcadet@miracoalition.org. Only applications with both a résumé and a cover letter will be reviewed. Applications are reviewed as internship positions become available, so applicants may not receive an immediate response. Please write “Legal Support Internship” in the subject line of your email.