Established by Congress in 1974, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is the country's single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans. LSC's mission is to promote equal access to justice and provide grants for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. LSC currently funds 132 independent nonprofit legal aid organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories.

LSC's Office of Data Governance and Analysis (ODGA) provides LSC staff, legal and social services providers, policymakers, researchers, and the public with critical data to better understand the scope and extent of the civil justice gap, inform data-driven decisions, and expand access to justice for all. Our team is comprised of a diverse group of data scientists, data engineers, and researchers who use a variety of tools and strategies to make information related to civil legal aid more accessible and actionable.

LSC is seeking applicants local to the DC area. This position will require working from an office in Washington, D.C., but is teleworking until LSC returns to in-office work. The successful candidate must live in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.Depending on the status of Covid-19 related telework at the start date, the internship may be fully remote, partially in-person, or fully in-person. If LSC returns to in-person work, the intern will have the option to report to the LSC office.

BASIC FUNCTION:

The primary objectives of the internship are for the intern to:

1. Build problem-solving and quantitative reasoning skills while working in a collaborative, mission-oriented environment;
2. Hone legal research and data analysis skills while working on projects at the cutting-edge of legal services and data science; and
3. Learn how to translate research findings into actionable guidance for legal aid providers, policymakers, civil court officials, and others working in the civil legal space.

The intern's hours may be up to 20 hours per week. The internship will run through Fall 2022. Candidates interested in an extended internship are encouraged to apply.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The intern's principal duties and responsibilities include:

1. Assisting in various components of data collection, cleaning, and analysis.
2. Communicating with legal aid practitioners, court officials, researchers, and/or other professionals to obtain contextual information about data collected, civil legal procedures, and programs.
3. Conducting research and analyses on topics related to state and local policies, civil legal aid and the civil legal needs of low-income Americans, as well as producing written summaries of the findings.
4. Contributing to the development of data documentation and data management solutions for ODGA's growing collection of civil legal data.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

General:

LSC is accepting applications from current undergraduate or graduate students studying Sociology, Political Science, Data Science, Computer Science, Criminology, Law and Society, Urban Planning, Public Health, or related fields; current law students with familiarity or interest in quantitative analysis are also encouraged to apply. Excellent communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and quantitative reasoning are required. The ideal candidate will be curious, hard-working, and self-disciplined.

Technical/Specialized:

Experience conducting quantitative analyses required and proficiency with data science and analysis scripting and querying languages (R/Python/SQL) strongly preferred.

HOURLY RATE:

This position is paid on an hourly basis in accordance with the following rate schedule:

Class Year

Hourly Rate

1st year

$16.10

2nd year

$17.00

3rd year

$18.00

4th year

$19.00

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Submit a complete application (provide ALL of the information requested and answer ALL of the questions) and attach a resume and cover letter explaining why you are a good fit for this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Apply directly on our website at: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/careers.

If reasonable accommodation in the application process is required, please notify OHR at jobapplicant@lsc.gov

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT:

We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our differences fuel excellence, and we strive to create an environment where every individual is valued and feels empowered to bring their full, authentic self to work. We are building a community rooted in openness and trust where colleagues have the resources to grow, thrive and fully contribute to achieving equal access to justice.

LSC is an equal opportunity employer.