Internship Opportunities
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) is the state agency charged with enforcing the state's anti-discrimination laws in the areas of employment, housing, credit, education, public accommodations, mortgage, and lending. State law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, genetics, military status, and retaliation. In addition to these bases, the Massachusetts fair housing law also prohibits discrimination on the basis of children, public assistance, veteran status, and marital status.
The MCAD has offices in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester. Internships are available in the Boston and Springfield offices. Both the Boston and Springfield offices are centrally located and accessible by public transportation.
The MCAD seeks interns/volunteers to work in the following five areas:
1. Administrative complaint processing (undergraduates aiming for careers in administrative work or related areas). Students assist the Commission with responding to public inquiries, legal data entry, filing of legal documents, and reception. Minimum of 10 hours per week.
2. Public education and outreach (undergraduates, law or other graduate students). Students contact organizations that serve individuals likely to experience discrimination to schedule outreach presentations, and then conduct those presentations to the public. Bilingual preferred. Minimum of 10 hours per week.
3. Discrimination complaint intake (undergraduates, law or other graduate students). Students meet with individuals to assist them to file discrimination complaints, including collecting key data and assisting them to write a narrative describing their allegations. Minimum of one full weekday each week from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. (two full days preferred).
4. Investigations/Enforcement (law students or law graduates). Interns conduct investigations into discrimination claims regarding workplaces and places of public accommodation, including requesting documentation and evidence from parties, reviewing case files, and drafting recommendations regarding whether probable cause exists. Minimum of 15 hours per week.
5. Prosecution and judicial appeals (law students who have completed at least two years of law school or law school graduates). Interns assist with evaluating legal strategy, preparing discovery requests and responses, interviewing witnesses, conducting legal research, drafting legal documents, and hearings and court proceedings. Minimum of 15 hours per week.
Applicants should possess good to excellent academic standing, have an interest in civil rights, and have relevant skills to each position, such as administrative, public speaking, investigative, and legal research and writing skills. Knowledge of discrimination law is helpful, but not expected.
The MCAD seeks full-time interns/volunteers during the summer. During the fall and spring semesters, we are open to interns/volunteers who can work a minimum of 10 to 15 hours each week, as specified above.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To apply for any of these positions, please submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to:
Becky Shuster
Director of Training
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
1 Ashburton Place, Room 601
Boston, MA 02108
Please specify in your cover letter which position(s) you are applying for, your preferred location (Boston or Springfield), and your dates and hours of availability.
Special Opportunity for Law Students:
Napolitano Internship
This paid internship is awarded each summer to one law student who is interested in discrimination and employment law. Applications for the Napolitano internship only must be sent by March 15 to:
Becky Shuster
Director of Training
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
1 Ashburton Place, Room 601
Boston, MA 02108
Please include a cover letter, resume, writing sample and one-page statement of why you would like to be a legal intern at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
The many friends and colleagues of George Napolitano wished to honor his contributions to discrimination law during his 1991 to 1997 tenure as the MCAD's General Counsel. One of Mr. Napolitano's great joys was mentoring junior attorneys. The funds for the internship were raised through a joint effort of the Boston and Massachusetts Bar Associations to memorialize his contributions by establishing an internship for law students administered through the Massachusetts Bar Foundation.