Job Title: Legal Summer Intern
Job Responsibilities:
Legal interns at the organization will engage in a multitude of tasks fundamental to the representation of clients across various legal disciplines. Responsibilities include:
- Preparing for hearings and trials, ensuring all necessary documentation and arguments are meticulously organized and presented.
- Interviewing witnesses and clients to gather essential information and insights that will aid in building a robust defense.
- Conducting thorough legal research to support case strategies and motions.
- Writing legal motions, ensuring clarity, precision, and adherence to legal standards and practices.
- Connecting clients with essential services and resources, facilitating holistic support beyond legal representation.
- Representing clients in court, under the supervision and discretion of attorneys, pursuant to the Student Practice Order.
- Observing or participating as co-counsel in cases across various judicial venues, including Criminal Court, Civil Court, Family Court, Immigration Court, and Administrative Hearings.
Education and Experience Information:
To be eligible for the Legal Summer Internship, applicants must:
- Be a second-year (2L) law student at an American Bar Association-accredited law school.
- Demonstrate a commitment to directly defending individuals involved in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal systems.
- Show a dedication to challenging systemic injustice and the carceral systems.
- Have experience working in and with racially and ethnically marginalized communities of color that are often targeted by systemic injustice.
- Possess the ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate, and connect with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
- Be capable of working independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers.
- Exhibit a commitment to fierce advocacy and a willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people represented.
- Possess effective research, writing, and courtroom advocacy skills, along with strong legal analytical skills.
- Have the capacity to employ non-legal resources to support the people represented.
- Demonstrate the ability to multitask, maintain order, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
- Show meticulous attention to detail and the ability to think critically and creatively, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles.
- Be open to receiving constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection, and adjust behavior accordingly.
- Exercise good judgment, discretion, and confidentiality around sensitive issues.
Salary Information:
The text does not provide specific salary information for the Legal Summer Internship position.
Additional Information:
The Legal Summer Internship at the organization runs from May 26, 2026, to August 4, 2026. Applicants are required to submit their resume and a cover letter in one document. The cover letter should articulate the applicant's interest in the work at the organization and highlight key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared them for the position. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Selected candidates will be contacted via email for an interview. Interviews for applications submitted outside of career fairs and OCIs will be conducted virtually on a rolling basis through October 1st, 2025.
The organization is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a diverse workplace. They encourage applications from marginalized communities, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent, and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family, and immigration legal systems. The organization values lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcomes applications from the Bronx community that they serve.
