Since 1981, over 400 students have participated in the Anthony Shadid Intern Program of the ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI); ADC-RI is the non-profit affiliate of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). The program is named after Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the Washington Post (and former ADC intern), Anthony Shadid; he is just one example of many former interns who have become successful leaders. Each year, students from all over the country gather at the national office in Washington, DC to gain first-hand experience and knowledge about ADC issues and campaigns.
This year eight applicants from a pool of over 100 came to intern this summer in the legal, media, government affairs, information technology, and organizing departments. Not only do the interns maintain their own workloads for their separate divisions, but special effort is made to network with the DC community and allow the interns to experience the city’s culture. The first few weeks of the summer program are centered on the annual ADC Convention in June.
Throughout the summer the interns attended weekly brown bag lunch sessions at other organizations such as the Asian-American Justice Center, the Poverty and Race Research Action Council, the Advancement Project, and the National Women's Law Center. Topics covered included confronting discrimination and bigotry, fair housing, educational push out factors, and immigration. On July 22, ADC’s Executive Director, Kareem Shora hosted a lunch event covering racial profiling for attendees.
The interns toured the Supreme Court and were escorted through the US Capitol by ADC President and former Congresswoman Hon. Mary Rose Oakar, including the opportunity to be on the floor of the House of Representatives. The interns also attended congressional hearings with ADC Legislative Director Christine Gleichert, as well as meetings with the ADC Legal Department at the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) among others.
ADC also held the first Ibn Rushd Moot Court Competition as part of the summer Legal Internship program. The event, which concluded the legal advocacy component of the summer legal internship program, was held at the ADC National Headquarters. In addition to the competition, each law student is required to write a law review style paper with a minimum of 15-pages on any topic relevant to the legal issues addressed by ADC. The fact pattern for this year’s competition, which included written briefs and oral arguments, dealt with issues related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The intern program offers a variety of positions for leadership development. It educates students on issues of civil rights, the Arab heritage, and current events in the Middle East. It empowers them to educate others. Students gain practical training in community organizing, media relations, research and writing, legal issues, political action, educational outreach, and routine office work alongside our regular professional staff.
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