The Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center provides mediation and conflict resolution services to the diverse communities in the Los Angeles area, with a focus on Asian Pacific communities.
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 colleague
