The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of the Chief Counsel in Chicago, Illinois, is responsible for providing legal advice, training and services in cases related to the ICE mission in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin.  The office represents the United States in immigration removal proceedings, and provides legal support to ICE components focusing on customs, worksite enforcement, employment law, and administrative law.  Legal externs assist in the representation of the United States government in immigration removal proceedings.

Legal Extern Location: Chicago, Illinois

Application Materials: Resume, transcript, writing sample, and cover letter indicating dates when available.  Applications should be submitted to occ-chi-applications@ice.dhs.gov.  All electronically submitted documents must be in MSWord or Adobe Acrobat format. 

Qualifications: First-year (second semester) and second-year law students.  Previous or concurrent course work in immigration law helpful, but not necessary.  Must be a U.S. citizen.  Will be subject to a background investigation due to the sensitive nature of the work performed.

Application Deadline: For Spring of 2014: Applications will be accepted between August 15, and September 30, 2013.

Minimum Weeks Required: 10 weeks minimum, 15 - 20 hours per week. 

Salary: Volunteer (without compensation).            

Assignments: Legal externs can expect to research and write appellate briefs to the Board of Immigration Appeals; research and draft motions in pending cases; assemble exhibits for trial; research foreign country conditions; observe hearings of cases on which they are working or are interested in.

Contact: If you have any questions about the 2014 Spring Legal Extern Program, please feel free to email occ-chi-applications@ice.dhs.gov