The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), located in Berkeley, California, offers the Arlene Mayerson Summer Internship for current 1Ls and 2Ls with a focus on diversity and disability. This summer internship is a full time, 40 hour per week program, that will last ten weeks. Interns may work in person at our accessible offices in the Ed Roberts Campus, remotely, or through a hybrid arrangement. We welcome applications from outside California.
DREDF Background
DREDF is a national, non-profit law and policy organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil and human rights of people with disabilities. DREDF’s legal team engages in legal advocacy, litigation, and trainings. DREDF also develops legislation and advocates for public policy changes. The Parent Training Information Center of DREDF advocates for parents of children with disabilities in the public school system.
DREDF regularly works with law student interns and teaches disability rights courses at Bay Area laws schools. Our office is uniquely comprised of not only attorneys, but also special education advocates and policy analysts, which provides for a truly interdisciplinary and multifaceted perspective on disability rights issues. The internship is named after Arlene Mayerson, a leader in the disability rights movement and DREDF founder who served as the organization’s Directing Attorney for 40 years.
Internship Responsibilities
Interns will have the opportunity to work on litigation, legal advocacy, and policy work under the supervision of DREDF attorneys. Substantive issues may include special education, health care, housing rights, reproductive justice, access to government benefits and services, technology access, public accommodations, or transportation. Projects may include researching legal issues, developing information materials for the community, drafting legal memos, as well as helping with court cases through drafting pleadings, motions, and discovery. Interns may have the opportunity to observe or participate in meetings, depositions, court proceedings, and client interviews related to ongoing litigation. DREDF seeks to create an experience that incorporates the intern’s own interest and the goals of the organization.
DREDF attorneys regularly receive requests from lawyers around the country who are seeking advice and assistance on cutting-edge disability rights issues. Interns may be included in telephone calls and strategy sessions responsive to these requests. With the close supervision of attorneys, interns may also respond to telephone inquiries about disability discrimination or special education issues that callers with disabilities or parents of children with disabilities are facing and may provide informal advocacy on the clients’ behalf. Interns are also invited and encouraged to join DREDF staff in attending disability community events and meetings that occur during their internship.
Qualifications
We are looking for law students who are rising 1Ls and 2Ls who are interested in disability rights and social justice. Below is a list of preferred qualifications, but all law student applicants, regardless of qualifications, will be considered.
- A demonstrated commitment to social justice.
- Experience with disability related issues (ex. disability related course work, prior volunteer experience, prior internship/job).
- Experience with issues related to health, housing, special education, transportation, and/or reproductive justice.
- Commitment to an intersectional approach to disability justice. To this end, we are looking for interns who also have some demonstrated commitment to working for the rights of people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, women, indigenous populations, and other marginalized populations.
- Strong research skills, including familiarity with researching case law, policy, municipal laws, NGO or NPO reports, and legislative history.
- Strong writing skills, including drafting legal briefs, pleadings, Public Records Act requests, and discovery.
Funding
Stipends are available on a limited basis for qualifying interns who cannot otherwise secure summer funding or externship credit. We request that interns first explore and apply for other funding sources (e.g., law school grants). We are happy to provide confirming letters and supporting documentation to interns seeking external grants or externship credit. DREDF will supplement any outside funding, so the intern receives $9,200 in total for the summer.
Application
To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, transcript, and writing sample to apply@dredf.org with the subject line: “2027 Internship Application”. If you need a reasonable accommodation for your disability as part of the application process, please include this in your email.
DREDF values diversity, and we strongly encourage and welcome applicants who are people of color, people with disabilities, people with family members with disabilities, LGBTQIA, higher weight people, people from low-income and working-class families, first generation college or law school students, and people with diverse life experiences to apply. In your cover letter, please feel free to include a paragraph explaining how your personal or professional background meets DREDF’s commitment to diversity. Please note for our internal review, law school names are removed from the materials to give applicants a fair review regardless of the reputation of their law school.
The deadline to apply for the internship is January 15, 2027. We will accept applications on a rolling basis if the position is not filled until January 31, 2027. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by January 15, 2027, to ensure their application is reviewed.
