While most of the legal and advocacy services at HAP are provided by experienced staff, there are some opportunities for volunteer involvement.
Both attorneys and other legal professionals can very effectively assist severely disabled homeless individuals to secure federal disability benefits and thereby secure not only a source of income, but also access to medical coverage and other services.
HAP very much welcomes and relies on legal and social work student interns, who have an opportunity to fully engage with clients and learn a broad range of relevant skills in a supportive environment. HAP will work with students to help them obtain academic credit for their internship when possible.
There are three types of legal internships available:
Eviction Defense
Legal interns perform a variety of tasks, which can include interviewing clients, drafting pleadings, creating discovery plans, drafting written discovery, attending settlement conferences, and helping to negotiate settlements in eviction cases.
Disability Benefits
Legal interns work directly with clients and health providers, gather medical evidence, research points of law, and write persuasive briefs. Interns also have the opportunity to research broader legal questions.
Immigration
Legal interns will work directly with clients gathering information and helping prepare affirmative immigration petitions including Adjustment of Status, Citizenship DACA renewals, and other affirmative applications.
Legal interns must be current law students. Internships during the summer are full-time, while those during the Spring/Fall semesters require a commitment of 20 hours per week.
To apply, submit a resume and cover letter indicating the type(s) of legal internship you’re interested in to the JDC Volunteer Coordinator at probono@sfbar.org.
Social work interns are responsible for interviewing clients, making assessments of them, and advocating on their behalf for services for which they are eligible and/or have been denied or delayed in receiving. They also make referrals to appropriate community resources, including homeless shelters, emergency housing, subsidized housing, public benefits, job training, employment, health care providers, mental health centers, substance abuse treatment, and related programs.
Students applying for a social work internship at HAP should submit a cover letter and resume to Julie Rosenthal, Director of Social Services, jrosenthal@sfbar.org.
All other volunteers who are interested in getting involved with HAP, please email probono@sfbar.org for more information.