Intern, Appellate Project (Summer 2027)
About The Position
Legal Aid DC, a nonprofit organization with an approximately $18 million annual budget and a staff of approximately 125 employees, is seeking a Summer Intern to join the Appellate Project. Since 1932, Legal Aid has provided civil legal assistance to clients in individual cases and engaged in systemic reform. Currently, we provide individual representation in consumer law, domestic violence/family law, housing, public benefits, and immigration matters. We also help people with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic impact and appellate litigation. Legal Aid also administers the DC Resource Bridge, a single access point for legal services in the District. Legal Aid believes that meaningful pursuit of our anti-poverty mission requires an unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity. We aspire both to reflect the rich racial diversity of the communities we serve and to value, respect, and empower our staff and clients to be effective agents of change. For more information about Legal Aid please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org. Our work is supported through public and private grants and private fundraising from individuals, law firms, and other contributors. Interns at Legal Aid DC have the unique opportunity to receive substantive assignments that will have an immediate impact on our clients. This internship is for Summer 2027 and will be 10 weeks in duration. Summer interns should expect to work full-time (40 hours per week). Interns mainly work out of Legal Aid’s NW DC office, with the option to perform some work remotely if approved by their supervisor. Summer interns may be required to perform duties off site, and will be required to travel locally for summer programming events. The intern will report to the Appellate Director and the Appellate Fellow. The summer term is from May 27th through August 6th. Legal Aid’s nationally recognized Barbara McDowell Appellate Advocacy Project is named after its first Director, an acclaimed appellate and U.S. Supreme Court advocate. The Project litigates precedent-setting appeals on behalf of Legal Aid clients and files “friend of the court” briefs in cases involving matters of importance to people living in poverty. Beyond litigation, the Project provides appellate instruction, consultation, and advice to the larger D.C. legal services community. Although most of the Project’s work involves cases before the D.C. Court of Appeals, the Project also participates in administrative appeals and in cases before the D.C. Superior Court and the federal courts. Prior interns have drafted large sections of briefs, researched novel legal questions, attended Legal Aid oral argument at the D.C. Court of Appeals, met with federal and District judges and appellate practitioners from diverse practice areas, and attended a legal writing training, among other professional enrichment opportunities.
Requirements
- Current law school students interested in public interest, appellate law.
Responsibilities
- Conducting legal research using Lexis to answer quick questions or prepare longer memos
- Drafting portions of filings, including briefs and motions, and client correspondence
- Cite-checking, Bluebooking, proofreading, and other tasks that require careful attention to detail
- Participating in oral argument preparation, including moots
- Reviewing publicly available dockets to identify cases in which Legal Aid should become involved, including assessing lengthy records and issue-spotting
- Providing administrative support to the project
Benefits
- Scholarship funding up to $6,440
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
