Shii News – The Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Internship for the Freedom of Unjust Prisoners

The Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Internship for the Freedom of Unjust Prisoners
“The one who strives to free a believer from captivity, Allah will free him from the Fire” (Wasā’il al-Shīa, vol. 16, p. 18)
In this blessed month of Ramadhan, the American Muslim Bar Association (AMBA) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Internship for the Freedom of Unjust Prisoners.
In Islamic tradition, if someone is wrongfully imprisoned, it is obligatory upon the community to work for their release. In this spirit and ever since its inception, AMBA has worked on cases involving the unjust imprisonment of Muslim prisoners by providing legal support, culturally competent insight to defense teams, fundraising, rallying community and organizational support from allies, leading advocacy efforts, and writing statements of support. These efforts led to the successful resolution and release of two Muslim community members who had been unjustly imprisoned.
Over the past year, AMBA has been working with a family in NY whose son has been unjustly imprisoned in the People’s Republic of China for the past 7 years on a life sentence. To bolster these efforts, AMBA is launching the Imam Zainul Abideen paid internship to be filled by a rising or current second-year or third-year law student.
Imam Zainul Abideen (peace be upon him), the great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was unjustly imprisoned by the tyrant of his time following the seminal battle of Karbala, Iraq in the year 680 AD. It was his patience, fortitude, and indomitable spirit which eventually led not only to his own freedom but the fall of the same tyrant only a few years later.
AMBA is accepting applications for the internship immediately.
Please email your resume, an email/letter of interest and 2 references (1 from a law professor or attorney; 1 from a community leader) to info@ambalegal.org.
Job Description: The Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Intern will engage in one or more of the following: advocacy efforts with government agencies, set meetings with elected officials, liaise with human rights and prisoners’ rights organizations, organize PR campaigns on social media, and work directly with affected families and their defense attorneys to help secure release of their innocent loved ones, all with guidance from the AMBA President. This will involve becoming familiar with the details of the legal case of the imprisoned community member, having excellent writing and editing skills, social media expertise, and a sincere interest in advocating for the unjustly imprisoned.
Requirements: 2L or 3L at an accredited US law school, with excellent academic credentials and a demonstrated interest in advocacy, human rights, criminal justice or related fields.
Commitment: 5-10 hours per week
Location: Fully remote
Compensation: $18/hr
Deadline: March 30th, 2025/Ramadhan 30th, 1446
Contact: info@ambalegal.org

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