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.
CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW REFORM TEAM – This team has three internship programs. Candidates applying to the Criminal Law Reform team must indicate their unit/project preferences in their cover letter. The options are:
- Special Litigation Unit (which includes the Cop Accountability Project)
- Prisoners’ Rights Project
- Incarcerated Client Services Unit
LAW REFORM UNIT OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE (INCLUDING HOMELESS RIGHTS UNIT)
LGBTQ+ LAW AND POLICY INITIATIVE UNIT
SPECIAL LITIGATION AND LAW REFORM UNIT OF THE JUVENILE RIGHTS PRACTICE
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.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities
These internships offer the opportunity to 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. This may include legal research; factual research; client interviewing; participating in discovery and trial practice as opportunities arise; contributing to legal papers, policy memos, or legislative testimony; and other tasks. Interns 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. Descriptions of each law reform unit can be found at https://legalaidnyc.org/programs-projects-units/?what-we-do=50.
Internships are open to 2L students in good standing. Applicants should demonstrate the following:
- 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
SALARY TRANSPARENCY
As an intern position, this role has no salary.
Stipends & Benefits
Interns who meet the eligibility criteria have an opportunity to receive a $1,000 stipend from the Howard Rossbach fund. The Stipend was established in memory of Judge J. Howard Rossbach, Attorney-in-Chief of The Legal Aid Society (1950-1952, 1953-1955), whose mentorship encouraged young lawyers’ dedication to civic engagement through legal aid. The J. Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend, awarded through a lottery system, aims to support 4-5 interns annually who demonstrate financial need and lack funding for their internship at The Legal Aid Society. To be considered for this stipend, interns must:
- Applicants must be enrolled as a degree seeking undergraduate or graduate student at any accredited institution
- Complete the Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend Form at the time of submitting their internship application.
- Must ultimately be accepted to participate in an internship program at LAS
- Must demonstrate financial need
- Must lack funding for their internship
- Must submit a statement reflecting the student’s strong interest in working at Legal Aid upon graduation
Application deadline (s):
Please refer to the deadline listed on the internship description you wish to apply to.
Stipend application:
To be considered for the J. Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend, simultaneously fill out the J. Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend Form during the submission of your internship application. Only one application per applicant per year is permitted. If more than 4 or 5 applicants are eligible, then recipients will be selected by lottery. Please do not submit multiple forms even if you are applying for multiple internships. Selected interns will be notified prior to the start of their internships. The stipend will be treated as taxable income.
For additional information or inquiries about the internship stipend, please reach out to jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.
How To Apply
All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.
