Summer Internships for Current Scholars
Title: Outcomes Measurement Coordinator
Location: Hartford
Dates: We require a total of 35 hours per week during our regular office hours (Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM), with the target start date any time after the close of the spring 2024 semester, for approximately nine weeks. Internship hours must be completed by September 1st.
Hours: We are willing to work with the student intern in regards to his or her schedule and availability.
Our intern for the summer of 2024 will assist with the implementation of its outcome measurement systems, documenting the efficacy of the Children’s Lawline service. The Children’s Lawline is a legal help-line on which attorneys provide information and referrals on topics related to family law and children’s rights.
To measure the effectiveness of the Lawline, the ASF Intern will contact callers who have used the service in the past. The callers are asked a brief series of questions designed to provide feedback regarding their level of satisfaction with the service and the assistance they’ve received. The intern will be fully trained and will be utilizing an established protocol when making phone calls. Interns need not be familiar with family law and will not be expected to dispense legal information to those persons with whom they speak. There will be ample opportunity to learn more about these topics during the course of the internship. At the end of the research period, the intern will assist in compiling data and will produce a final outcome report of his or her findings, which ultimately will be used to provide data for future grants and programs that require statistical information regarding the Lawline. The report also will help measure the success of the service, indicate areas of improvement, and provide overall assessment of the program.
Outside of these specific responsibilities, the ASF Intern will have exposure to the family court and our direct Legal Representation and Mediation services. The intern will have the opportunity to shadow the staff attorneys and social worker as they attend court hearings, participate in negotiations, conduct intake meetings, and attend home visits, as appropriate. This is an ideal hands-on opportunity for students interested in pursuing careers related to law, social work, children’s issues, advocacy and/or non-profits.
The student will learn general office etiquette including professional communication skills both over the telephone and it writing as well as working collaboratively and professionally in an office environment. The student will have the opportunity to review case files, interact with staff attorneys, and draft motions and correspondence as needed.
The Outcome Measurement project will put the student in telephone contact with individuals who may still be experiencing personal crisis. The student gain experience on how to communicate compassionately but effectively, a useful skill in any profession.
While shadowing the staff attorneys and social worker, the student will gain exposure to the court system as well as the parents and children engaged in that system. The student will observe effective interviewing of adults and children and learn techniques of successful interviewing. The student will have exposure to multiple court authorities and learn how to appropriately interact in a number of different professional circumstances.
The student will have the opportunity to network with CLC staff, court staff, and other interns creating connections for future professional opportunities.
While this position would provide a number of learning opportunities that would be applicable to any future endeavor, it is more likely that students with an interest in children and family studies, social work, and law - particularly public interest law - would be a good match for this position.
Confidentiality is required. Interns should have an interest in the project and the organization, be reliable and well organized, and have basic computer skills (including the MS Office Suite).