Kivu Summer Internship

The Kivu Summer Internship is a highly selective program for undergraduate and law students passionate about social justice and interested in gaining real-world experience in immigration law. This internship is paid and is in-person at the Kivu Law office in Worthington, Minnesota.

Applications for the 2025 Kivu Summer Internship are open! Complete application materials must be emailed to [email protected] by Sunday, February 2 at 11:59 P.M. CST.

Narrowing the Justice Gap

Kivu Immigration Law is the only law firm in all of southwest Minnesota that practices immigration law. Before its establishment in 2020, many immigrants traveled nearly 200 miles to Omaha, NE or Minneapolis, MN to seek legal assistance. Kivu Law strives to provide our clients affordable, accessible, and high-quality legal representation in a convenient and low-stress manner. Equally important, our social enterprise focuses on community engagement and awareness building on immigration issues impacting rural America. Kivu Summer Interns will assist staff in providing holistic legal representation on immigration matters and engage in on-the-ground community advocacy with schools, businesses, and other community organizations in Worthington and across the rural upper Midwest.

What will Kivu Summer Interns gain from their summer experience?

  • Direct access to mentorship and support from an experienced immigration attorney
  • Experience working in-person directly with clients
  • Exposure to many different immigration case types
  • Opportunity to organize and participate in advocacy and coalition building in the community
  • Being part of an internship cohort with other passionate students from across the country
  • Familiarity working with marginalized communities
  • A relaxed pace of life enjoying summer in a small town

Eligibility Requirements for Kivu Summer Interns

  • Applicant must be enrolled in an undergraduate program or JD program at an accredited university
  • At the time of selection, applicant must have authorization to work in the United States
  • Applicant must pass a background check

Are you a recent law school graduate looking for an opportunity? Check out the Kivu Law Fellowship or our Employment page for additional opportunities.

Application Components

  • Resume
  • PDF of your post-secondary transcript(s) (unofficial)
  • Statement of Interest (500 words or fewer): Describe why you would like to be a Kivu Summer Intern. Questions to consider in drafting the Statement of Interest include:
    • Why are you interested in immigration law?
    • How might a Kivu Summer Internship prepare you for the career you want in the future?
    • What skills and experiences have prepared you for work with immigrant communities, particularly in a rural setting?

Complete application materials must be emailed to [email protected] by Sunday, February 2 at 11:59 P.M. CST.

Kivu Summer Internship Alumni

2024

Celeste Alvarez*
Washington & Lee University ’26

Andrea Herrera*
Wesleyan University ’27

Abigail Hu
Yale University ’27

Jade Mosley
Smith College ’25

2023

Julian Cohen
Brown University ’26

Anthony Lehi Garcia*
Colgate University ’25

Tacey Hutten
Yale University ’26

Luis Angel Mendoza*
Claremont McKenna College ’25

2022

Sydney Erickson
University of Minnesota ’21
University of Iowa College of Law ’24

Jonathan Parts
Rice University ’20
University of Iowa College of Law ’24

Ashley Reyes*
Yale University ’25

Evelyn Letona Robles*
Yale University ’25

2021

Grace Anderson
Concordia College ’20
University of Minnesota Law School ‘23

Jose Chiquito*
Claremont McKenna College ‘24

Kynzie Clark
Yale University ‘22

* denotes Questbridge Scholar