June 6, 2023 | Issue 43

Welcome Inaugural Sarah W. Mitchell Summer Interns

The Sarah W. Mitchell Summer Public Interest Internship Program seeks to promote awareness of and commitment to careers in law and public interest which advance the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities.

On May 30th, Disability Rights NJ welcomed the inaugural cohort of Sarah W. Mitchell Public Interest Interns for the summer of 2023 to work with our Investigations & Monitoring and Legal teams.

The program, named for the founding Executive Director of Disability Rights NJ and funded by contributions from our generous supporters, provides internships each summer to two law students and one undergraduate or graduate student in social work or psychology field of study, where the student has a demonstrated interest working with individuals with disabilities.

This summer’s interns will work alongside our staff attorneys and advocates to advance our mission and gain invaluable experience with a variety of legal and social issues, learning first hand what it means to advocate for people with disabilities in New Jersey.

The internship program cannot exist without the continued support of our donors. Please consider making a contribution to directly support this worthy and valuable program that champions future advocates for the disability community.

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A Message from Sarah

I am pleased to extend my special welcome to the first cohort of Sarah W. Mitchell Summer Interns to Disability Rights New Jersey. The importance of their presence and contributions to the work of DRNJ can not be overstated. It speaks to the recognition by the Board, as well as Gwen Orlowski, the Executive Director, and her staff, of our need to ensure that well-trained and educated professionals continue the important work of advancing justice and the legal rights of people with disabilities. I am honored to be associated with such a forward-thinking organization and anticipate meeting and hearing about the work of our new interns.

Sarah W. Mitchell, BSN, MSW, JD

Founder of Disability Rights NJ

Meet the Interns

Shanelle Jean-Baptiste

Third-year student at Delaware Law School with an interest in Criminal, Family, Dignity, and Disability.

"I have a passion for helping people. There are many reasons why I want to work with Disability Rights NJ, however two of the main reasons are that I grew up with two cousins who were disabled and I have witnessed how they were failed by the "system." Also, my soon-to-be stepson is on the spectrum and I refuse for history to repeat itself. I have witnessed firsthand what it is like for people with disabilities to go through life without advocates, and I want to be a part of the change. Unfortunately, too many people do not care, and I hope to help change the narrative."

C Ledford

Student at Northeastern University studying American Sign Language/English Interpreting with minors in gender studies and sociology.

"I am so honored to be the recipient of the Sarah W. Mitchell Summer Internship through Disability Rights New Jersey. I am very passionate about accessibility and I am an advocate for utilizing the Disability Justice framework which holds intersectionality at its core. During my time at Disability Rights NJ, I am hoping to support, advocate for, and work with the disability community to learn more about collective care, access, and liberation.

Kaitlyn Flanagan

Second-year student at Rutgers Law School

"After working as a professional social worker as part of a housing and homeless program assisting individuals with disabilities, I moved to New Jersey to attend law school. I have interned with the NJ Office of the Public Defender in the Department of Mental Health Advocacy. I am familiar with the P&A system and admire the unflinching way they force agencies to confront and change their entrenched and unfair practices. I would love to be a part of the changes that have a direct and immediate impact on their quality of life for people with disabilities."

HOW WE HELP

Disability Rights New Jersey, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing and protecting the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities.

We aggressively investigate reports of abuse and neglect wherever a person with a disability may be receiving services.

We thoroughly monitor facilities and community-based programs to ensure that people living in those facilities and using those services are free from abuse and neglect, and that their rights are not violated.

We provide legal representation, without charge, to people with disabilities in cases that fall within our priority setting process.

We are dedicated to providing education, training, and technical assistance to people with disabilities, their families and advocates, the agencies that service them, and policy makers among others.

We provide state-of-the-art access to information and advice about assistive technology.

Read Our Story

Disability Rights NJ is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services - Center for Mental Health Services; Administration for Community Living - Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Center for Integrated Programs, through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Education: Rehabilitation Services Administration, and the Social Security Administration

DISABILITY RIGHTS New Jersey | disabilityrightsnj.org

210 South Broad Street, Third Floor

Trenton, New Jersey 08608

1.800.922.7233 (in NJ only) 1.609.292.9742 (Voice)

1.609.777.0187 (Fax) 1.609.633.7106 (TTY)

Give Today

Welcome Inaugural Sarah W. Mitchell Summer Interns

A Message from Sarah

Meet the Interns

Kaitlyn Flanagan

HOW WE HELP﻿

HOW WE HELP