Summer 2027 Law Intern, Criminal Defense Practice

Neighborhood Defender Service Inc•New York, NY

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) is a national nonprofit public defense organization that pioneered the holistic defense model more than 30 years ago. Founded in Harlem, NDS was built to challenge the traditional public defense model by centering clients, communities, and interdisciplinary advocacy. Today, NDS operates community-based offices in Harlem; the Bronx; Detroit; and Hays County, Texas, supported by a unified national infrastructure that allows local teams to deliver high-quality, responsive representation rooted in the communities they serve. Across all locations, NDS provides client-centered legal representation through interdisciplinary teams composed of attorneys, investigators, social workers, client advocates, and team administrators. Our approach emphasizes early and ongoing engagement with clients—before arrest where possible, throughout the life of a case, and beyond case resolution—while addressing the legal, social, and systemic challenges that impact long-term stability. NDS is committed to treating every client with dignity and respect and to advancing justice for individuals and communities that have been historically marginalized and over-policed. NDS is looking for law student interns with a demonstrated commitment to criminal defense and social justice issues. The goal of the internship is to provide the intern with an experience as close to the actual practice of an NDS criminal defense attorney as possible. After a week of orientation to NDS and New York County criminal practice, summer interns are matched with attorneys to work with throughout the summer. For the remainder of the summer, intern duties may include legal research and writing, court appearances, client interviews, precinct visits, witness interviews, investigation assistance, client visits at jails and juvenile detention facilities, and participation in any of the many other activities that NDS staff undertakes on behalf of our clients. Our internship program is hybrid and runs for 10 weeks, typically from the first week of June through the first week of August. Interns will have the opportunity to work out of our court offices and our Harlem-based office. Legal interns can expect to conduct legal research, write legal motions, assist in preparing for hearings and trials, work directly with clients, and appear on the record pursuant to the student practice order.

Requirements

Law student interns with a demonstrated commitment to criminal defense and social justice issues.
Energy, enthusiasm, and an unwavering commitment to clients.
Embrace our philosophy of client-centered, community-based, and holistic representation.
Submit a COVER LETTER and RESUME.
Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.
PDF files containing both Cover Letter and Resume are preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide the intern with an experience as close to the actual practice of an NDS Criminal defense attorney as possible.
After a week of orientation to NDS and New York County Criminal practice, summer interns are matched with attorneys to work with throughout the summer.
Conduct legal research and writing.
Make court appearances.
Conduct client interviews.
Conduct precinct visits.
Conduct witness interviews.
Provide investigation assistance.
Conduct client visits at jails and juvenile detention facilities.
Participate in other activities that NDS staff undertakes on behalf of our clients.
Write legal motions.
Assist in preparing for hearings and trials.
Work directly with clients.
Appear on the record pursuant to the student practice order.