Legal Intern

Current internship terms

CAASE is seeking legal interns for fall 2026, spring 2027, and summer 2027. Legal interns will work on enforcing the rights of survivors of sexual harm within the criminal justice system, as well as Civil No Contact Orders and other protective orders, Title IX, nonconsensual dissemination of intimate images, and employment law. Legal interns will work with cases involving enforcement of rights under the Illinois Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act (725 ILCS 115/4) and the rights enumerated in the Illinois Constitution, Article I, § 8.1, as well as civil laws supporting the rights of survivors of sexual harm. View the full position description and how to apply here.

Full position description

About CAASE

Mission and Vision

CAASE envisions a community free from all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade. CAASE addresses the culture, institutions, and individuals that perpetrate, profit from, or support sexual exploitation. Our work includes prevention, policy reform, community engagement, and legal services.

Values

Social and institutional systems do not adequately serve survivors of sexual violation. Sexual violation disproportionately harms people from marginalized communities, including girls and women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, and immigrants and people without documentation. To best support survivors, CAASE confronts the inequities that fuel or intersect with sexual harm. Our dedication to this work is reflected in our values. Dignity | We respect the inherent humanity of all people and strive to expand opportunities for personal autonomy. Accountability | We answer to survivors and collaborate with allies as we seek to hold those responsible for harm accountable. Progress | We create individual, institutional and cultural change by using innovative approaches to ending sexual harm. Equity | We commit to building a world where every person, with consideration for their intersecting identities and unique circumstances, has the same access to opportunity and power. CAASE does not discriminate against job applicants or employees on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, sex (including sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender stereotyping, pregnancy and childbirth status) religion, national origin, age (40 and over), mental or physical disability, neurotype, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, veteran status, arrest record, status as a victim of domestic violence, status as being under an order of protection, lack of a permanent mailing address or using the mailing address of a shelter or social service provider, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. CAASE supports a person’s full access to reproductive health information and services.

About the Opportunity

Job Function

CAASE’s direct legal services include victims’ rights advocacy within the context of the criminal justice system, civil legal representation using a variety of civil laws specific to Illinois and related to sexual assault and prostitution, and protection of the panoply of other legal rights that victims have in the context of their schooling, their workplace, and their housing. CAASE does not engage in family law or criminal defense work. CAASE legal interns will work on enforcing the rights of survivors of sexual harm within the criminal justice system, as well as Civil No Contact Orders and other protective orders, Title IX, nonconsensual dissemination of intimate images, and employment law. Legal interns will work with cases involving enforcement of rights under the Illinois Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act (725 ILCS 115/4) and the rights enumerated in the Illinois Constitution, Article I, § 8.1, as well as civil laws supporting the rights of survivors of sexual harm.

Responsibilities

Specific tasks will include:

• Conducting legal research and preparing memoranda and other documents on legal issues

related to the rights described above.

• Analyzing cases and identifing legal issues as they come up in cases and develop a working

knowledge of crime victims’ rights laws and civil rights for survivors of sexual harm.

• Performing other job-related duties as assigned by immediate supervisor.

• Candidates may have the opportunity to represent clients who are survivors of sexual harm,

including appearing at court dates. Status: Full time, temporary, unpaid. This position is primarily remote, but there may be occasional travel within Chicagoland.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Applicants should be a law student with strong research and writing skills, a demonstrated

interest in the area of gender equality, gender-based violence, or survivor's rights, and the ability to obtain a 711 license.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Highly organized and attentive to detail.

• Ability to collaborate with others and work independently.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality of CAASE information.

• Ability to initiate and follow through with projects under a tight deadline structure.

• Excellent applied research and analytical skills, including the ability to synthesize information,

and identify themes. Ability to exercise a logical and resourceful approach to evaluating and addressing problems.

• Candidate must be committed to feminist principles, ending the perpetration of sexual

exploitation in Chicago and Illinois, and to the continuing work of opposing and seeking to end all forms of inequality, including race, sexual orientation, and gender inequality. CAASE supports the right of all people to have full access to reproductive health information and services. EOE. Please submit a resume, substantive cover letter, transcript, and writing sample to hr@caase.org. No phone calls please. If you need any assistance or accommodation during the application process, please contact hr@caase.org. CAASE is committed to providing an environment that is free of discrimination and harassment. We are committed to being responsive to any reports of unethical or unlawful conduct, including harassment and discrimination, when they are brought to our attention directly. Additionally, as a recipient of funds through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), CAASE complies with all additional requirements for responding to reports to ICJIA and its related entities. If a CAASE program participant believes that they have been discriminated against or that their civil rights have been violated, the individual may file a complaint with ICJIA, who will then forward the complaint to the IDHR or the OCR for investigation. Complaint forms and instructions can be found on ICJIA’s website at https://icjia.illinois.gov/about/publications/. Complaints can also be submitted directly to the Office for Civil Rights; Office of Justice Programs; U.S. Department of Justice, at 810 Seventh Street N.W., Washington, DC 20531 or by visiting: https://ojp.gov/about/ocr/complaint.htm. Employment complaints may be submitted directly to the EEOC, at https://www.eeoc.gov/employees/howtofile.cfm. Complaints can also be submitted directly to the Illinois Department of Human Rights, 100 West Randolph Street, 10th Floor, Intake unit, Chicago, IL 60601, 535 West Jefferson, 1st Floor, Intake Unit, Springfield, IL 62702, or by visiting https://www2.illinois.gov/dhr/FilingaCharge/Pages/Intake.aspx.