Internship Opportunities

Disability Law Colorado (DLC) is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to securing the rights of the more than one million Coloradans with disabilities. As Colorado’s Protection and Advocacy System, we use our federal authority to root out discrimination, abuse, and neglect—from schools to prisons, nursing homes to voting booths. For more information, visit disabilitylawco.org.

Key Responsibilities
Disability Law Colorado accepts internship applicants in the following areas: legal interns/externs, social work, public policy, fundraising and development, marketing, and business administration.
Generally, interns will work to support advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities. This may include work relating to housing discrimination, employment discrimination, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, voting access, Medicaid, access to transportation, conditions in facilities, and students with disabilities who are in or at risk of entering the school-to-prison pipeline. As the state's protection and advocacy system, Disability Law Colorado also monitors facilities where individuals with disabilities receive services. Interns may have an opportunity to participate in monitoring visits based on level of interest.
Specifically, based on internship area, interns will:
• Legal: conduct research, draft legal memos, review records, develop policy recommendations, and/or assist with both individual and systemic case work.
• Social work: assist in assessing individual factors that contribute to person’s well-being and disability-related needs, conduct research, and/or assist with both individual and systemic work.
• Public policy: review policy, conduct research, make policy recommendations, draft policy language, and/or meet with key stakeholders regarding policy initiatives.
• Fundraising and development: assist with fundraising and donor campaigns, support outreach to sponsors and foundations, assist in building giving platforms, and/or design donor-facing emails.
• Marketing: work on social media accounts, support creation of digital and print materials, assist with website development, identify media contacts, and/or work on branding.
• Business administration: assist in developing and implementing business development strategies and initiatives, learn about grant reporting, and/or work to support DLC’s staff.

Required Qualifications

• Legal interns/externs must be enrolled in an accredited law school, and social work interns must be enrolled in an accredited social work program.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and research skills.
• Passion for disability justice, equity, and self-advocacy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish.

Work Environment

DLC is promoting a mostly remote work environment, with the understanding that interns may travel and meet in person as needed for conducting their job functions and collaborating with other staff members, clients, and partners. DLC also currently has office space in Denver, which may be available for intern use upon request.

Compensation and Benefits

DLC is only able to accommodate unpaid internships at this time. Interns can seek school credit or other stipends for their work and DLC is happy to meet or consider any requirements necessary for these opportunities. Interns can work flexible hours based on their schedules and credit requirements if seeking credit. If a candidate is seeking a full-time internship, DLC employees enjoy a 36-hour workweek as full-time employment, as well as flexible hours. Interns are welcome to pursue other employment while working at DLC as long as this work does not create a conflict with the work that DLC does.

Anti-Discrimination Policy

We are committed to providing a work environment that is free of unlawful discrimination and unlawful harassment. Disability Law Colorado prohibits harassment and discrimination based on disability; age; ancestry; national origin or ethnicity; citizenship; immigration status; race; color; hair style or hair texture; marital, registered domestic partner, or civil union status; pregnancy and perceived pregnancy (including breastfeeding or related medical conditions); religion; sex; gender, gender identity or expression; sexual orientation or an employer’s perception thereof; wage disclosures; lawful off-duty, off-premises activities; because the person is a victim of a crime, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; military or veterans’ status; family or medical care leave status; or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.