Law Reform Legal Intern, 2L- Summer 2027

The Legal Aid Society • New York, NY

1d

About The Position

The law reform units of the Legal Aid Society (LAS) have opportunities for law school students to participate in LAS’s ground-breaking work on impact litigation and policy initiatives that seek to address systemic issues facing Legal Aid’s clients. Each of these units engages in impact litigation, policy reform, coalition building, and public education strategies to grapple with novel legal issues arising in the daily practice of Legal Aid's direct services work. Interns applying to this position will be assigned to one of these units for the duration of their internship, depending on the preferences of the intern and the needs of the units. Applicants should review The Legal Aid Society's website for more specific descriptions of the work of each of these units and identify in their application which unit or units they are interested in. Applicants will be offered positions depending on their preferences and the needs of the units.

Requirements

• 2L students in good standing.
• Interest in working on the issues affecting the rights of Legal Aid’s clients, particularly tailored to the unit(s) prioritized by the applicant.
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills.
• The ability to analyze complex legal and policy issues.
• The initiative to see projects through to completion.
• A commitment to racial and social justice.
• Must be enrolled as a law student at an accredited institution.
• Must ultimately be accepted to participate in an internship program at LAS.
• Must demonstrate financial need.
• Must lack funding for their internship.

Nice To Haves

• Candidates applying to the Criminal Law Reform team must indicate their unit/project preferences in their cover letter.
• Applicants should identify in their application which unit or units they are interested in.
• Applicants will be asked to rank which of the law reform units they would most prefer to work in and will be matched depending on experience and organizational needs.

Responsibilities

• Engage in various aspects of Legal Aid’s law reform work, depending upon the specific needs of the unit to which the intern is assigned.
• Conduct legal research.
• Conduct factual research.
• Conduct client interviewing.
• Participate in discovery and trial practice as opportunities arise.
• Contribute to legal papers, policy memos, or legislative testimony.
• Perform other tasks as assigned.

Benefits

• A $1,000 stipend from the Howard Rossbach fund is available for eligible interns.
• The stipend is awarded through a lottery system and aims to support 4-5 interns annually who demonstrate financial need and lack funding for their internship.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed