ChiEAC Legal Advocacy Leadership Program: Open to ALL Legal Backgrounds

ChiEAC Legal Advocacy Leadership Program

The ChiEAC Legal Advocacy Leadership Program is designed as a structured, experiential learning opportunity for students and emerging professionals in the legal field. This volunteer role aligns with Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) standards by offering 20-25 hours per week of supervised, project-based legal work that connects academic training to applied practice in community advocacy.

Participants in this program gain professional experience across multiple areas of law while advancing ChiEAC’s mission of expanding equity and access to justice for underserved communities in Chicago.

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Research & Writing: Conduct supervised research in immigration, family, housing, labor, education, civil rights, or other areas of law; prepare memos, briefs, and reports.
• Community Advocacy & Policy Support: Develop Know Your Rights materials, policy analyses, and advocacy tools tailored to immigrant and underserved families.
• Applied Legal Support: Assist with supervised intake, translation, and document preparation to support client pathways to resources.
• Collaboration: Partner with interdisciplinary teams (engineering, data science, education) to integrate legal insights into broader community initiatives.
• Professional Development: Participate in weekly mentorship meetings, supervision check-ins, and workshops to support career growth and ensure compliance with OPT/CPT experiential training standards.

Who Can Apply

• Law students (JD, LLM)
• Paralegals and legal assistants
• Pre-law undergraduates
• Recent graduates in legal studies
• Professionals seeking structured volunteer legal experience

All legal disciplines are welcome, including immigration, family, housing, labor, business, civil rights, and more.

Time Commitment

20-25 hours per week. Flexible scheduling; remote and hybrid participation options available.

Supervision & Evaluation

Volunteers are supervised by ChiEAC legal program leads. Progress is tracked through deliverables, written reflections, and evaluations, ensuring alignment with OPT/CPT requirements for experiential learning.

Impact

Through the ChiEAC Legal Advocacy Leadership Program, students gain applied professional legal experience in a creative, constructive, and collaborative environment. Volunteers contribute to projects that expand access to justice for marginalized and immigrant families, while building the skills and portfolio required for future careers in law.

Watch our video to learn more: Emely Oviedo's "Motivación"