Dr. Jim Memorial Externship Program

Dr. Farha was a cardiac surgeon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who was affectionately known by friends and family as Dr. Jim. Dr. Jim was born in Lebanon in 1931 and immigrated to America in 1950 intending to become a physician. He attended the University of West Virginia and George Washington University School of Medicine. He and his wife later moved to Wichita, Kansas where he eventually co-founded what would become one of the largest private surgical practices in the country at the time. Throughout his career, Dr. Jim emphasized to all the importance of integrity and putting patients first as a physician. His commitment to freedom, faith, and opportunity for all Americans made him a committed supporter of various causes and organizations.

As an immigrant, Dr. Jim deeply valued the importance of the rule of law in the United States and also understood the importance of protecting the citizenry from the arbitrary use of government power—principles which fueled his support of the Clause 40 Foundation. Clause 40 Foundation is grateful to have had our organization’s founding supported by Dr. Farha and his family prior to his passing. In his honor, we seek to utilize our externship program to train students who will share his passion for honoring, preserving, and promoting the due process rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.

Dr. Jim, left, with his brother, on the steps of a courthouse the day Dr. Jim became a U.S. citizen.

Externship Program

The Dr. Jim Memorial Externship Program is hosted by Clause 40 Foundation every summer at our headquarters in Washington, D.C. Participants generally engage in projects for 30 hours a week over 8 weeks, but this schedule can be altered based upon the specific needs of accepted candidates and their academic programs.

During their time at Clause 40 Foundation, we hope that participants will gain the following:

· The ability to effectively analyze and clearly communicate complex issues of criminal law, constitutional law, and criminal procedure through writing, social media, and verbal communication; and

· Experience working in an intentional manner to advance shared goals motivated by a variety of diverse communities and principles.

What Participants Can Expect

Clause 40 Foundation has a dynamic and collaborative workplace on Capitol Hill that is shared with our sister organization--Due Process Institute. Our staff come from a wide variety of political, philosophical, and cultural perspectives but have a shared passion for protecting the constitutional rights of those involved in our criminal legal system.

Clause 40 Foundation’s externship program is an unpaid program but candidates can expect a rewarding experience that will leave them with a catalog of high-value writing samples, mentorship by passionate and successful individuals, and an extensive foundation of knowledge on criminal law topics as well as criminal justice reform educational efforts. While Clause 40 Foundation is unable to pay its externs, we are open to partnering with other organizations that can complement our externship program and provide accepted candidates with a stipend during their time with our organization.

Applications are currently closed.

Alumni

Melissa Rodriguez, Legal Extern, Summer 2020

Melissa is a law student at The George Washington University Law School. She and her family came to the United States from Cuba and that unique perspective shapes her desire to work with Clause 40 Foundation in its efforts to support the fundamental Constitutional rights available in the American criminal legal system that are unfortunately lacking elsewhere in the world. She believes that an individual’s due process rights are an essential component of any legitimate criminal legal system and agrees with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that an “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Kevin Kolar, Legal Extern, Summer 2020

Melissa Rodriguez, Legal Extern, Summer 2020

Kevin is a law student studying at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. His undergraduate degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in Forensic Psychology focused on criminological theory and helped to raise his awareness of the injustices prevalent within our criminal justice system. He looks forward to aiding Clause 40 Foundation’s efforts to ensure the proper role of our due process rights enshrined in the Constitution. To him, erring on the side of individual liberty is not only the moral choice but also strengthens the legitimacy of our criminal justice system in the eyes of our citizens.