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New Opportunities Across Sectors

Deadline: December 30, 2025

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - Law Student Volunteer Summer 2026 (Arlington, VA). The Office of Chief Counsel provides legal services and guidance to all components of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in matters that arise in the conduct of DEA's enforcement mission. More Info and Apply (Posted 8.18.25)

Deadline: January 4, 2026

Advocates for Children of New York - Summer Law Student Intern Program in Education Advocacy (New York, NY/Hybrid). Advocates For Children (AFC) is a dynamic social justice organization that strives to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds. The internship program is 10 weeks long, with the option to extend the internship for another 2 weeks (for a total of 12 weeks) with supervisor approval. The internship will run from May 26, 2026 until July 31, 2026. This is an unpaid internship. More Info and Apply on LinkedIn (Posted 8.13.25) 

Application Period: December 1, 2025 - February 1, 2026

U.S. Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division - 2026 Summer (Washington, DC). More Info and Apply (Posted 8.11.25)

Deadline: January 12, 2026

United States Department of Justice - United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania - Law Student Volunteer Summer 2026 (Pittsburgh, PA). Interns are routinely assigned to perform legal research and writing assignments in federal civil, criminal or appellate cases. Interns work closely with AUSAs on case development and formulation of legal strategy. While interns are not permitted to conduct proceedings in federal court, they are afforded the opportunity to attend and observe various court proceedings. More Info and Apply Here (Posted 8.6.25)

Deadline: March 13, 2026

United States Attorney's Office (USAO) - S. District of CA - Law Clerk Volunteer, Summer 2026 (San Diego, CA). The Southern District of California is one of 93 offices nationwide and one of four offices in California. While this is a voluntary position, arrangements can be made through the law schools to obtain course credit, and with some schools, public interest stipends. Our office is also opened to split summers to allow interns the opportunity to work for other law firms for a portion of the summer while still demonstrating your interest in the public sector. Fortunately, this office has had numerous law clerks who have gone on to successful careers in both the private and public arena. Law clerks work closely with the Assistant United States Attorneys in a number of litigation areas and on a variety of topics. Law clerks gain firsthand experience as a Federal Prosecutor. Law clerks will be involved with writing and responding to motions, researching and writing appellate briefs, reviewing evidence, assisting with trial preparation (opportunities to appear in court are available to clerks who qualify for the Certification Program). Summer law clerks will have the opportunity to compete in a closing argument competition among their peers. There are tours with federal agencies such as the United States Marshals Office, U.S Customs and Border Protection, Metropolitan Correction Center, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Brown bag lunches are also scheduled, with speakers from around the office covering diverse topics such as comparisons between public and private practice, border issues affecting the office, and taking depositions. There is also exposure to trial preparation. More Info and Apply  (Posted 7.28.25)

Rolling Deadline after December 1, 2025:

New York Law Department - 2026 Summer Honors Program Interns (New York, NY). The Law Department is perhaps the only public sector/public interest employer in the country to make offers of permanent employment to its second-year summer interns based on their performance during the summer. In the past few years, about half of our entry class attorney positions have been filled with former participants of our Summer Honors Internship Program. The Summer Honors Interns will receive a $750 weekly stipend during the nine-week program.  Free summer housing is available to out-of-town summer interns, concurrent with the summer program. The Law Department’s varied divisions offer summer interns hands-on practical experience. Summer interns regularly draft motion papers and briefs that are filed in court. Interns in our Tort Division take or defend depositions and take part in pre-trial court proceedings. Interns in the Special Federal Litigation Division are assigned to work on a trial with a trial team over the course of the summer. Interns in the Family Court Division regularly interview victims and witnesses and appear in court. The majority of second year summer interns work in one of our litigating divisions. These divisions include, in order of numbers of placements each year, our Tort, Labor and Employment, Special Federal Litigation, Family Court, Administrative Law and Regulatory Litigation, General Litigation, Commercial and Real Estate Litigation, and Workers’ Compensation Divisions.  On occasion, we have placed an individual in our Affirmative Litigation, Appeals, Environmental Law, Legal Counsel, and Tax and Bankruptcy Litigation Divisions.  Generally, we do not place second year summer interns in our transactional divisions, which include our Economic Development, Contracts and Real Estate, and Municipal Finance Divisions.  First year summer interns may be placed in any of the Law Department’s 18 legal divisions. For more details about what interns do, please refer to descriptions of the Law Department’s individual legal divisions. The Law Department looks for candidates who are committed to public service, pursuing justice and serving the common good.  To best serve the City we represent, the Law Department seeks individuals from a variety of backgrounds who can bring different perspectives to contribute to the work of the office.  The Law Department also seeks candidates who want to contribute to a work environment that values teamwork, inclusion and respect.  Finally, for second year summer intern candidates, as many of our second year interns work in litigating divisions, the Law Department seeks candidates who have experience in moot court, trial advocacy, debate, public speaking, or litigation/mediation clinics or internships. Applications should include a cover letter, resume, two writing samples, unofficial transcript, and a list of three individuals who would serve as references (including their name, title, email address, phone number and a brief description of their working relationship to the candidate). We encourage candidates to include in their cover letter the names of divisions that they are most interested in. If you are interested in more than one division, please only submit one application indicating your primary division of interest and note the additional division(s) of interest in your cover letter. Before submitting an application, we also encourage candidates to review our application guidelines.  Applications can be addressed to: Director of Legal Recruitment, New York City Law Department, 100 Church Street, New York, NY 10007. Any questions about the position may be sent to recruitment@law.nyc.gov. More Info and Apply Here (Posted 7.23.25)

Deadline: January 31, 2026

Federal Public Defender for the Central District - Summer 2026 Capital Habeas Unit Law Clerk (Los Angeles, CA). Every year, the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California (FPD-CDCA) offers four students an opportunity to work directly on death penalty cases in our Capital Habeas Unit (CHU). The students begin the summer with a one-week “boot camp” where they learn the “nuts and bolts” of capital habeas litigation. Over the next nine weeks of the program, we strive to involve the students in all aspects of our work: investigating the factual bases for our claims, researching discrete issues in criminal and constitutional law, drafting claims for federal habeas petitions, and writing sections of appellate briefs. During the summer students will also have an opportunity to observe case-management meetings and participate in moots for Ninth Circuit arguments. Our summer program typically provides students with many opportunities to watch trials in district court and oral arguments at the Ninth Circuit. All in all, this program provides students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain, in just ten weeks, a sophisticated understanding of the criminal justice system and what is required to provide meaningful and effective representation to criminal defendants During the summer, law clerks agree to volunteer 40 hours a week for a ten-week period. During the school year, law clerks agree to volunteer anywhere from 15 hours to 40 hours a week. Many law school programs will award academic credit to participants in the law clerk program. The requirements and procedures vary depending upon the specific school’s guidelines. The law clerk is responsible for coordinating between their school and our office to assure that all relevant paperwork is completed. For the CHU’s summer law clerk program, please submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample at Current Openings - FPDCDCA More Info and Apply See other current openings here: https://federalpublicdefender.applytojob.com/apply/ (Posted 7.22.25)

Deadline: January 31, 2026

Federal Public Defender for the Central District - Summer 2026 Appeals Unit Law Clerk (Los Angeles, CA). The writs and appeals unit of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District represents indigent criminal defendants in their appeals to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, and in collateral litigation in federal district court.  If you are interested in working in appellate criminal defense, we have unpaid, full-time summer clerkships available for up to two law students. For ten weeks, the clerks will work closely with appellate lawyers at our downtown L.A. office on many aspects of their work—reviewing records and brainstorming issues for appeal, drafting memos on potential appeal issues, developing appellate strategy in communication with clients, and potentially drafting sections of appellate briefs. You’ll also get a chance to talk to incarcerated clients about their appeals and participate in moots for Ninth Circuit arguments. Through it all, you’ll get both informal training through attorney mentors and more formal training through sessions offered to all of the office’s summer clerks. Summer appellate clerks are expected to volunteer for 40 hours a week for ten weeks.  If you wish to participate in the program for fewer than ten weeks, please describe your availability in the cover letter submitted with your application. Many law schools will award academic credit to participants in the law clerk program. The requirements and procedures vary depending upon the specific school’s guidelines. You would be responsible for coordinating between your school and our office to ensure that any paperwork and other requirements are met. Please submit a cover letter, résumé, writing sample, and unofficial transcript at Current Openings - FPDCDCA. More Info and Apply See other current openings here: https://federalpublicdefender.applytojob.com/apply/ (Posted 7.22.25) (Posted 7.22.25)

Rolling Deadline:

Larimer County District Attorney - Summer 2026 Legal Intern (Fort Collins, CO). The District Attorney's Office seeks law students interested in a paid internship with the our office.  As an intern, students will be drafting motions, do research, assisting during trials (as appropriate). Internships are available at both our Loveland and Fort Collins locations, at the County and District Court level. We anticipate hiring up to 4 for the Summer of 2026 (30-40 hours/week). Please indicate you are interested in Summer 2026 in your cover letter, addressed to Amanda Duhon, Chief Deputy District Attorney. What you'll be doing: Assisting attorneys in assigned courtrooms or units with various tasks; Working closely with Deputy District Attorneys to gain hands-on experience; Observing and learning the role of a practicing prosecutor. To view the full job description, visit www.larimer.gov/hr/careers/job-descriptions#/app/detail/Internship_Temp More Info and Apply on LinkedIn (Posted 7.22.25)

Application Period: December 1, 2025 - December 15, 2025 

U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division (NSD) - Law Student Volunteer, Summer 2026, Foreign Investment Review Section (Washington, DC). The mission of the National Security Division (NSD) is to coordinate the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) efforts in carrying out its core mission of combating terrorism and protecting national security, including protecting our national assets from state-sponsored threats to the private sector. NSD is responsible for supervising the enforcement of all federal criminal laws related to counterterrorism and counterespionage, except those specifically assigned to other divisions. NSD also serves as DOJ's liaison to the United States Intelligence Community (USIC) and represents the government and the USIC before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. NSD advises the Attorney General regarding all matters of national security policy.Intern projects may include: researching factual and legal questions, drafting memoranda or other legal and policy analyses, conducting intra-or interagency coordination, evaluating contractual and other national security review deliverables, preparing briefing material, conducting elements of national security risk assessments, supporting the development and implementation of regulatory rules and processes, and assisting with presentations and supporting materials. Please submit a short cover letter, resume with two references, transcript (official or unofficial), and a writing sample (not to exceed ten pages). Please submit these materials AS ONE PDF via e-mail to: FIRS.Application@usdoj.gov. More Info and Apply Here (Posted 7.18.25)

Deadline: January 15, 2026

U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division - Summer 2026 Law Student Volunteer, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (Washington, DC ).The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) is responsible for implementing the Department’s national strategies in combating computer and intellectual property crimes worldwide. CCIPS prevents, investigates, and prosecutes computer crimes by working with other government agencies, the private sector, academic institutions, and foreign counterparts. Section attorneys work to improve the domestic and international infrastructure-legal, technological, and operational-to pursue network criminals most effectively. The Section’s enforcement responsibilities against intellectual property (IP) crimes are similarly multi-faceted. IP has become one of the principal U.S. economic engines, and the nation is a target of choice for thieves of material protected by copyright, trademark, or trade-secret designation. In pursuing all these goals, CCIPS attorneys regularly run complex investigations, resolve unique legal and investigative issues raised by emerging computer and telecommunications technologies; litigate cases; provide litigation support to other prosecutors; train federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel; comment on and propose legislation; and initiate and participate in international efforts to combat computer and IP crime. Law interns work with CCIPS attorneys on cutting edge legal issues relating to computer and intellectual property crime, cryptocurrency, and electronic evidence. Typical intern projects involve researching novel legal issues, drafting documents for active cases, analyzing policy proposals, and helping to draft Section publications. Summer interns must commit to working at least eight weeks. All internships are unpaid. Because of the sensitive nature of the work, applicants must pass a background check before a formal offer for an internship can be extended. Applicants should submit a PDF file via email to ccips.interns@usdoj.gov that contains: (1) a cover letter (including the weeks and days available to work); (2) resume; (3) writing sample (not to exceed 8 pages); (4) list of three references; and (5) if available, an official or unofficial law school transcript. Please indicate that you are applying for the Summer internship. Cover letters should be addressed to: U.S. Department of Justice, Attn: CCIPS Intern Hiring Committee, 1301 New York Avenue NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005. More Info and Apply (Posted 7.22.25)

Deadline: January 31, 2026

Department of Justice, Criminal Division - Summer 2026 Law Student Volunteer, Fraud Section (Washington, DC). The Fraud Section is responsible for conducting grand jury investigations and prosecutions in cases that require centralized treatment because of the complexity of the scheme, the multi-jurisdictional nature of the criminal activity, the sensitivity of the issues, or the necessity for developing model prosecutions to establish the viability of a particular statute, theory, or technique. Fraud Section investigations often involve business crimes such as healthcare fraud; financial institution fraud; complex securities and commodities fraud schemes that victimize American investors; government procurement frauds that harm the public fisc; trade fraud; cyber fraud; fraud in the insurance industry; international criminal activities in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; and multi-district schemes that victimize consumers, such as telemarketing and other mass marketing frauds. The Section’s prosecutions focus on fraud involving government programs, including health care fraud, procurement fraud, mortgage fraud, and abuses of government-funded programs. Legal interns will work directly with attorneys on cutting edge legal issues relating to a wide range of economic crime enforcement priorities. Typical intern projects have involved researching novel legal issues, drafting litigation documents for active cases, analyzing policy proposals, and helping to draft Section publications. The Section's work is national in scope and often involves some of the most significant and challenging corporate investigations within the Division.  Internships typically last between ten and twelve weeks. The Section generally requires a minimum commitment of eight weeks for any internship. Summer legal internships are full time. Applicants must submit via e-mail, a cover letter, a resume, a short or partial writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages), a list of three references and an unofficial law school transcript to: FRA.Intern.Hiring@usdoj.gov - Attn: Kiana Burgess, Intern Hiring Coordinator. More Info and Apply Here (Posted 7.21.25)

Deadline: April 30, 2026

Department of Justice, Civil Division - Law Student Volunteer, Civil Division, National Courts Section (Summer 2026)(Washington, DC). The National Courts Section's primary mission is to protect taxpayer dollars in lawsuits brought against the U.S. Government. The National Courts Section handles a variety of cases involving government contracts, international trade and tariff matters, constitutional claims, government pay and personnel suits, and veterans' and other benefits appeals before the United States Court of Federal Claims, the United States Court of International Trade, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (the "national courts"). In a sense, the National Courts Section is the "U.S. Attorney" in these specialized courts of national jurisdiction. Because these courts exercise nationwide jurisdiction, National Courts Section attorneys often travel outside of Washington, DC for trials and other matters. The National Courts Section also handles occasional matters in other federal district and circuit courts, as well as in administrative tribunals. Responsibilities include: Researching and drafting appellate briefs, Preparing dispositive trial court motions (e.g., motions to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b), motions for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56), Writing legal memoranda, Assisting attorneys in all phases of trial preparation, Attending depositions, moot courts, oral arguments, and mediations. Please send your application package in PDF form including: Cover letter, Resume, Law school transcript (official or unofficial) demonstrating completion of at least one year of law school, Brief writing sample. Email your application to nationalcourts.interns@usdoj.gov with Summer 2025 in the subject line. Start dates may vary, but must allow for completion of minimum 10-week internship during Summer 2025 semester. More Info and Apply  (Posted 7.21.25)