Dillard University Center for Racial Justice Internships

The Center for Racial Justice provides internships within the center and throughout the community to mold the next generation of equity leaders. 

Dillard University Center for Racial Justice Internship Application (PDF)

Name: Louisiana Council of Resources

Location: 824 Elmwood Park Blvd Suite 210, Elmwood New Orleans, LA. 70123

Contact Person: Raymond Delaney or Priest S. Cormier

Contact Phone: Raymond Delaney (504-239-0887) Priest S Cormier (504-377-8494)

Contact E-mail: Raymond Delaney (rdelaney@nolacor.org) Priest S Cormier (pcormier@nolacor.org)

Description: Louisiana Council of Resources assist clients in not having any new arrest, parole/probation violation or conviction by providing a holistic continuum of care and wraparound services that is essential to reentry persons’ success. All services provided are based upon an individual assessment where case managers of the organization create an individual enhancement plan and perform interest assessment on each client that will identify risk, needs, and responsivity. As an individual’s needs are identified, as a part of our contractual agreement we contact agencies within our referral network whom we have a linkage and partnership with to deliver supportive services to our clients. Supportive and/or stabilization services that enable engagement in education, training, employment, and other case management/follow-up activities that are conducted according to a client’s specific case management needs. The referred agency will collect the client’s referral information and notify program staff.

Name: Court Watch Nola

Location: Primarily remote for now (virus), with limited in-person observations available.

Contact Person: Jesse Manley

Contact Phone: 504.356.3577

Contact E-mail: jmanley@courtwatchnola.org

Description: Court Watch NOLA court watchers monitor open criminal court proceedings and collect data. Court watchers upload this data to our statistical database, which we use to make reports on the criminal justice system. Court watchers will get training in criminal court procedure and data collection, and do not need any prior legal experience. Most observations are currently performed via Zoom, but there are a limited number of inperson court watching opportunities. Most observations take place Mon-Thurs mornings.

Name: Operation Restoration

Location: 1450 Poydras Street Suite 2260 New Orleans, La 70112

Contact Person: Syrita Steib Contact

Phone: 504-684-9222

Contact E-mail: info@or-nola.org

Description: Social Justice internship opportunity with an organization that focuses on currently and formerly incarcerated women and girls. We have 15 programs for interns to choose from! Operation Restoration is a directly-impacted, women-led organization that exists to serve and advocate for women and girls involved in the legal system. Founded in 2016 by Syrita Steib, Operation Restoration has significantly expanded its capacity, programming, advocacy, and outreach — scaling programs state- and nation-wide. One of Operation Restoration’s greatest strengths is that 87 percent of the women who work at Operation Restoration are impacted by incarceration. This reality enables Operation Restoration to operate from a lens of empathy and non-judgment, creating programming that embodies hope, restoration, and possibility. Operation Restoration’s internship program allows students to work directly with local communities, gain policy and advocacy exposure, and expand skill sets to advance their employment opportunities. Any questions or inquiries regarding the internship program should be directed to intern@ornola.org.

Name: Orleans Public Defenders Office Investigator Internship

Location: 2601 Tulane Ave

Contact Person: Sara Jones

Contact Phone: (504) 827-8174

Contact Email: sjones@opdla.org

Description: Full description with deadlines and necessary materials upon request from the Center for Racial Justice

Name: Orleans Public Defenders Office Client Services Internship

Location: 2601 Tulane Ave

Contact Person: Max Lurye

Contact Phone: (504) 827-8211

Contact Email: mlurye@opdla.org

Description: Full description with deadlines and necessary materials upon request from the Center for Racial Justice

Name: Orleans Parish Juvenile Court, Teen court

Location: 1100 – B Milton Street, New Orleans, La 70122

Contact Person: Dr. Clarence Bickham, Teen Court, Program Coordinator

Contact Phone: 504-658-9583

Contact E-mail: cjbickham1@nola.gov

Description: Interns will work to cultivate academic improvement, problem-solving capability, conflict resolution skills, positive peer-on-peer contact, positive youth-on-professional contact, helping with truancy issues, while empowering all participants with the ability to make good life decisions, decreasing juvenile delinquency and recidivism and increasing positive behavior, community awareness and a sense of safer communities.

Name: Office of Criminal Justice Coordination Internship

Location: 1300 Perdido Street, Suite 8W03, New Orleans, La 70112

Contact Person: Adrienne Tobler Contact

Phone: 504-658-4978 (office), 504-345-0364 (cell)

Contact E-mail: adrienne.tobler@nola.gov

Description: The City of New Orleans Office of Criminal Justice Coordination (OCJC) is responsible for coordinating the efforts of public and private agencies connected to the criminal legal system. OCJC falls under the purview of the Mayor’s Office and decides the allocation of criminal justice grant funding for Orleans Parish and organizations within its jurisdiction. Additionally, the office provides thorough research and thoughtful recommendations regarding effective, progressive reform efforts. Data and material compiled by OCJC inform the decisions of the Sanford “Sandy” Krasnoff New Orleans Criminal Justice Council, which advises the Mayor and the City Council on pubic safety and criminal justice policies and bolsters communication and cooperation between key stakeholders in the criminal legal system. OCJC also administers the John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge in New Orleans, comprised of ambitious projects in the following areas: Lastly, (1) Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, (2) First Appearance, (3) Prosecutorial Diversion, (4) Pretrial Services, (5) Warrant Reduction, (6) Community Supported Release, (7) Justice System Data Monitoring and Analysis, (8) Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and (9) Jail Release. Lastly, OCJC has worked diligently over the few years to expand our efforts to reduce Ethnic and Racial Disparities in the legal system.

Name: Clerk of Criminal District Court

Location: Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights (3 internships available for Dillard Students)

Contact Person: Kristen Rome, Legal Representation Director, Juvenile Life Without Parole

Contact Phone: 504-658-6859 (office), 504-382-6690

Contact E-mail: KRome@lakidsrights.org

Description: We have availability for one intern to work with the children’s defense team (juvenile public defender) and 2 with juvenile life without parole team.

Name: Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition

Location: New Orleans, LA (Orleans Parish)

Contact Person: Lexi Peterson-Burge, Deputy Director

Contact Phone: 504-635-6707

Contact E-mail: lpeterson-burge@opprcnola.org

Description: The Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition (OPPRC) is a diverse, grassroots coalition of individuals and organizations from across New Orleans who have come together to shrink the size of the jail and improve the conditions of confinement for those held in detention in Orleans Parish. Founded in 2004, OPPRC members include community activists, lawyers, service providers, organizers, formerly incarcerated people, and their family members. opprcnola.org

Name: Free-dem Foundations

Location: 1216 Saint Bernard Ave.

Contact Person: Jerome Morgan

Contact Phone: 504-715-9869

Contact E-mail: Jerome.morgan999@gmail.com

Description: Students would help organize programming with partner organizations including the adult and juvenile justice centers. Students would also work with formerly incarcerated youths as mentors.

Location: Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office

Contact Person: Micah Ince

Contact Phone: office – 504-571-2901, 504-635-5726

Contact E-mail: mince@orleansda.com

Description: Undergraduate interns can be assigned year-around to a variety of divisions, including but not limited to this administration’s newly created Civil Rights Division. The Civil Rights Division has taken on several projects aimed at trying to right the wrongs of the past, such as reviewing old cases with claims of prosecutorial misconduct, actual innocence, or unreasonably excessive sentences. Opportunities include developing strategic partnerships, program development, and management of grant funds at the DA’s office. Other opportunities involves communications and public relations for students who want to branch out. Undergraduate interns may be assigned to one of five divisions: Screening, Trials, Juvenile, Appeals, or our newly created Civil Rights Division. The Screening division examines cases to determine whether criminal prosecution is appropriate, and if so, what specific charges to pursue. They determine what can be proven based upon the available evidence and victim/witness cooperation. The Trials division handles cases after charges are filed or an indictment is delivered. The take the case through any pre-trial motions through resolution, whether by plea or trial. The Juvenile division handles crimes committed by juveniles. Juvenile proceedings are not public due to the privacy afforded youthful offenders. The Appeals division handles appeals of criminal matters involving our office, but also at times consults on pending cases to help avoid the need for an appeal. The Civil Rights Division has taken on several projects aimed at trying to right the wrongs of the past, such as reviewing old cases with claims of prosecutorial misconduct, actual innocence, or unreasonably excessive sentences. Examples of work assigned may include, but is not limited to, obtaining documents from archives, updating the case management system, preparing files for court, reviewing jail phone calls or police body-worn camera footage, and attending witness interviews or court upon request of supervising attorney. Students who are interested should send a resume, cover letter, and 3 references to mince@orleansda.com

Name: Voice of the Experienced (VOTE)

Location: 4930 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, La 70125

Contact Person: Norris Henderson-Dir. or Bruce Reilly-Dep Dir.

Contact Phone: 504-571-9599

Contact E-mail: www.vote-nola.org

Description: Students will engage in internship activities focused on social justice reform

Name: Power Coalition for Equity and Justice

Location: 4930 Washington Ave. New Orleans, La 70125

Contact Person: Carlos Pollard Jr.

Contact Phone: (504) 906-4019

Contact E-mail: cpollard@powercoalition.org

Description: Community events, GOTV, Vaccines, Text Banks, etc. (this can be discussed and thought out as well.)