UnCommon Law has an opening for an undergraduate (any major) intern. This position provides support to the policy team as they develop and advocate for parole release policies that uplift the health, wellness, justice, and freedom of all incarcerated people. The main duties of this position are researching criminal justice policy changes in California, monitoring developing legislation, conducting simple data analysis, community engagement and communicating with incarcerated people and their loved ones about policy issues. Interns will also have the opportunity to learn about the discretionary parole process, California prisons, and the legislative cycle in California. Interns will be expected to work approximately 35-40 hours a week, and we account for time spent in professional development or other training opportunities through a university funding program. We are advertising this unpaid role with the expectation that a candidate may receive external funding to support the person in this position, from their university through a scholarship, stipend, or fellowship, or through outside funding.

We encourage people who have been directly impacted by incarceration to apply. This position will be hybrid, with Monday and Wednesday in the office and the option to work from home other days of the week.

Example Responsibilities

• Legislative advocacy/community engagement: writing support and opposition letters on California criminal justice bills; Observe legislative hearings; Participate in lobby days; Attend coalition meetings; Respond to policy-related inquiries from incarcerated people and their supporters
• Research & Data Analysis: Gathering data on relevant metrics such as parole outcomes; Monitoring relevant criminal legal policy changes in California and other states; Writing memos on relevant policy matters in California and other states
• Administrative and other responsibilities: Participate in relevant meetings; Organize data; Observe Executive Board of Parole meetings and trainings; Observe Board of Parole Hearings

Qualifications

• Commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppression practices and principles
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, for example, ability to speak or write about complex policy issues with commonly used language
  
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Demonstrated interest in or experience in legislative advocacy and / or community engagement (in a school, volunteer, professional, or community setting)
• Experience working with data and basic excel calculations, or the ability to quickly get up to speed
• Sensitivity to confidential matters
• A working proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel