Internship and Volunteer Opportunities
Please read the info below to learn about our Community Mediation Program & Restorative Justice Program Internship Opportunities.
What We Do
The Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center provides mediation, restorative justice, and conflict resolution services to the diverse communities in the Los Angeles region. Through our mediation services, we offer people an alternative to costly and time-consuming court services. Through our restorative justice program, we offer individuals involved in criminal conflicts the opportunity to understand, heal and improve their situation going forward. We also strive to improve human relations and race relations by addressing complex, cross-cultural community conflicts and their root causes through collaboration with community partners. We are dedicated to serving traditionally under-served and underrepresented people in order to ensure equal access for all.
Community Mediation Program & Restorative Justice Program
Volunteer/Internship Opportunities
Requirements:
Volunteer and internship opportunities are open to individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, citizenship, and education levels. We believe that everyone has what it takes to create good in this world! We are always looking for team members to join us who have a special interest and appreciation in community and grassroots work. If you are organized, self-motivated, detail-oriented, and willing to learn, then we are excited to meet you! Strong writing and speaking skills will go a long way as well. Bilingual or multilingual individuals (Asian languages plus Spanish) are especially encouraged to apply. All work, with few exceptions, can be completed virtually online so you do not have to be located in Los Angeles to join our team. We even frequently have volunteers and interns living in their home country wake up in the middle of their night to sign in online and help our parties resolve their disputes!
With 4 volunteer/internship cycles each year at our Center, we do expect you to complete a minimum of 180 hours over a 4 month period. Additionally, to keep the progress of cases flowing effectively, we do have a minimum weekly time commitment of 16 hours per week. Shifts are scheduled Monday through Friday, with 2 shifts available each day. Our morning shift is 9am – 1pm, and our afternoon shift is 12pm – 4pm. You may choose to sign up for either shift time or complete a full day at once depending on your personal availability. However, we do ask that you arrive on time at the beginning of your shift so you can join everyone in a group debrief and stay for the remainder of the full shift period.
Once you have been accepted, have joined the team, and completed your training and orientation you will have the opportunity to take on a lot of hands-on responsibility. Specifically, during your time with us, you can expect to take the lead in processing case intakes, preparing case participants for mediation or other conflict resolution practices, and mediating to see the case through to its conclusion. But don’t worry, you will be backed and supported by a fully developed, solid process, APADRC’s experienced staff members, and your wonderful community of volunteer and intern colleagues!
Conflict Resolution Specialists (CRS):
Get training and experience needed to become a certified mediator for both regular and litigated disputes. This is a program designed to provide training and practice opportunities for candidates who are interested in the legal, social service, and political sector. You will have a chance to experience the “behind the scenes” work for legal professionals as well as front-line practice of mediation from the very beginning to the end. The internship is open to all backgrounds; we especially encourage candidates with legal, social services, psychology, and communication background(s) with bilingual skills to apply.
After completing a minimum 40-hour basic mediation and conflict resolution training, you will be responsible for the following tasks including:
- Conducting case intake interviews, interacting with clients, performing casework
- Observing and performing in-person mediations and over-the-phone conciliations
- Assisting with community education, public presentations, outreach programs, and day-to-day office operations
At the end of this learning experience, you will receive a certificate of mediation training and professional practice.
Restorative Justice Specialists (RJS):
Get training and experience needed to become a certified restorative justice facilitator for criminal, school, familial, and other conflict situations. This program is designed to provide training as well as practical experience in the quickly growing world of restorative justice practices. Candidates who are interested in a wide variety of domains from legal and social services to political, psychological, and communications work will gain valuable experience both interacting with the mainstream justice system as well as contributing to the development of an important socio-cultural shift in the daily practice of American justice.
After completing a 30-hour restorative justice training, candidates will be responsible for the following tasks including:
- Receiving referrals, conducting case intake interviews, interacting with clients, and performing casework
- Observing and facilitating restorative justice sessions
- Assisting with community education, public presentations, outreach programs, and day-to-day office operations
At the end of this learning experience, you will receive a certificate of restorative justice training and professional practice.
New to the field?
Check out our additional volunteer/internship opportunities!
