Free to Thrive is a San Diego based non-profit firm providing holistic legal services to survivors of human trafficking throughout California. Our clients’ legal needs are often complex, resulting from law enforcement and legal systems that overpolice, underprotect, and then criminalize our clients for surviving their exploitation. Free to Thrive’s 8 staff attorneys assist more than 200 clients with legal issues such as criminal advocacy, post-conviction relief, child custody, restraining orders, debt-relief, credit repair, name and identifier changes, landlord/tenant issues, employment law, and more.
We strive to provide client-centered, holistic advocacy in a trauma-informed environment. That means our clients’ stated goals guide our approach to representation and we do everything we can to support clients, recognizing that legal issues might not be their most pressing concern. We are constantly learning, but we are steadfast in holding each other accountable for carrying out these values in our work.
Interns can expect to gain experience in a wide-variety of practice areas and learn how to use the law to remove barriers and provide relief to individuals who have experienced trafficking. Each intern will work closely with attorneys on all aspects of cases, including: client communications, motion drafting, researching and drafting internal briefs, court appearances, and creative problem solving to address the unique issues our clients face. Interns may have the opportunity to make a court appearance under the supervision of an attorney in some cases.
The intern position incorporates both direct client and project-based work, as well as mentorship from Free to Thrive attorneys. Interns can work remotely from school or home when not in court or meeting in person with clients. Although we prefer interns to attend some in-person meetings and events, we are flexible with those requirements and can accommodate interns who are not able to do so. At this time, we cannot offer compensation.
We are looking for empathetic and thoughtful interns who want to work with our clients. Our clients are complex individuals, and often have multiple vulnerabilities and challenging life circumstances, along with wisdom, humor, resilience and perseverance. If your values align with ours, please consider applying for an internship with us by sending a resume and cover letter explaining why you want to do this work.
Please email applications (cover letter and resume) as soon as possible. We will accept applications and schedule interviews on a rolling basis for both spring semester and summer positions.
Send applications to the following email addresses, and include your name and “Intern Application” in the subject line:
nick@freetothrive; tamie@freetothrive.org; malissa@freetothrive.org; allison@freetothrive.org