The Sikh Coalition

The Sikh Coalition is a community-based organization that defends civil rights and civil liberties in the United States, educates the broader community about Sikhs and diversity, and fosters civic engagement amongst Sikh Americans. The Sikh Coalition owes its existence in large part to the effort to combat uninformed discrimination against Sikh-Americans after September 11, 2001, including hate crimes and other forms of bias-based discrimination. The Sikh Coalition’s Legal Team provides direct legal assistance and advocates on behalf of Sikhs who have been discriminated against or subject to bias based upon their religious beliefs or Sikh identity.

Position Summary: The Sikh Coalition’s Legal Program seeks two law school students to serve as legal interns during the summer of 2020. Qualified interns should have a passion for social justice and civil rights, a strong work ethic, and excellent legal research, writing, and analytic skills. Individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply; prior exposure to Sikh civil rights issues is not required.

Legal interns will receive hands-on experience:

• Conducting legal research;
• Writing research memoranda;
• Drafting letters, complaints and legal briefs;
• Interviewing clients or witnesses;
• Assisting with litigation and casework;
• Gaining exposure to federal & state anti-discrimination and religious rights laws, e.g., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the First Amendment and federal and state Religious Freedom Restoration Acts.

Location: National Office – New York, 50 Broad Street, Ste. 504 New York, NY 10004

Qualifications:

• Passion for social justice and civil rights;
• Bright, intellectually curious, hardworking, and self-motivated;
• Compassion for clients;
• Excellent legal research (Westlaw), writing, and analytical skills;
• Team player, i.e., is able to work effectively with legal and non-legal staff across all program areas;
• Punjabi language skills are a plus.

Accepted interns are required to work a minimum of 40 hours per week for 10 weeks during the summer at the Sikh Coalition’s New York City office (50 Broad St, New York, NY). Summer interns will receive a $2,000 stipend graciously funded in part by the Dr. Puran Singh Bajwa Legal Internship Fund. This is in addition to any funding an intern may receive from external sources, including their respective law schools.

To Apply:

Please e-mail a resume, cover letter and writing sample to legal@sikhcoalition.org.