VOLUNTEERS
Interpreter Volunteers
Volunteer interpreters work under the direction of our staff and volunteer attorneys and will have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in legal interpreting. Opportunities range from helping an attorney communicate during an initial client interview to assisting at a deposition or even a trial. Spanish interpreters are in primary demand, but interpreters in other languages are needed on a case-by-case basis as well.
For interests in pro-bono attorney work or interpretation, please email probono@centrolegal.org.
Volunteer interpreters support Centro Legal’s pro-bono work in the following capacities:
Interpreting for a Centro Legal client at their asylum interview in San Francisco. Volunteers are invited to sit-in during attorney-client pre-interview preparation.
Interpreting for a Centro Legal daylong immigration clinic. Clinics are held both in our office and San Francisco at partnering law firms.
Interpreting for a Centro Legal client at their pro bono mental health evaluation. Interpretation is done for behavioral health specialist ranging from social workers, marriage and family therapist, and clinical psychologists.
Partnering with a Pro Bono attorney and interpreting for the life of an immigration case. Volunteers get to work elbow-to-elbow between pro bono attorneys and asylum seekers. This is a great opportunity for individuals interested in careers in law, law school, or immigrant issues.
PRAP Volunteers
Post Release Accompaniment Project (PRAP) is a partnership between Centro Legal de la Raza, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights and Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement. PRAP assists detained individuals with the entire release process, as well as connecting individuals to post-release services. Volunteers play the biggest role in the program, as they provide release and transportation accompaniment and resources to asylum seekers. Since the program’s inception in 2014, PRAP has assisted over three hundred individuals in their release from custody.
Administrative and Non-Law Student Volunteers/Undergraduate Internships
From time to time Centro Legal has discrete projects that need the help of non-attorney volunteers, specifically for those interested in assisting the organization in administrative, development and communications capacities. Unpaid internships for non-law students are also available from time to time, often in exchange for academic credit.