Criminal Defense Practice Legal Intern, 2L – Summer 2027

About the role

The Legal Aid Society, the nation's oldest and largest social justice legal services organization, offers Summer 2027 Legal Internships for the Criminal Defense Practice (CDP) throughout New York City. The Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender in New York City, providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 200,000 people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges.

Placement options

Most internships are in CDP trial offices, but candidates can also choose among the special practice offices, including:

• Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB): CAB assists indigent defendant-appellants challenging their convictions on direct appeal, as well as providing a variety of other post-conviction services. Appellate Interns are primarily responsible for drafting sentence reduction briefs following felony guilty pleas, as well as briefs challenging appeal waivers, SORA (sex offender registration act) risk level determinations and/or briefs challenging the sufficiency of misdemeanor accusatory instruments. There will also be opportunities to observe appellate arguments and trial court SORA hearings, and engage in other aspects of the office's practice.
• Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA/CAB): The recently enacted Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act ("DVSJA"), Criminal Procedure Law 440.47, enables survivors of domestic violence who meet certain criteria to apply for a reduction in their prison sentences. Working with CAB supervisors, staff attorneys, mitigation specialists, and paralegals, the DVSJA 2L Intern will support CAB's DVSJA work to investigate, file, and litigate resentencing motions.

For more information about the work of the Criminal Defense Practice and our specialized units please go to: https://www.legalaidnyc.org/programs-projects-units/

Responsibilities

We are seeking dynamic, passionate, and creative legal interns committed to our mission. Interns will work directly with supervising attorneys. Duties may include:

• Drafting motions
• Conducting legal research
• Assisting with investigations
• Assisting with client interviews
• Reviewing and organizing discovery
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Current law school student in good standing - only 2Ls
• Relevant clinical program or work experience is preferred, but not required
• Demonstrated commitment or interest to indigent defense
• Demonstrated commitment and interest in serving racially and socioeconomically oppressed communities
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with all members of the staff
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and think critically

1L law students are eligible to apply for Summer 2027 internships on December 1, 2026. Please check our website after that date for 1L positions.

Stipend

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:

• Be enrolled as a law student at any accredited institution
• Ultimately be accepted to participate in an internship program at LAS
• Demonstrate financial need
• Lack funding for their internship

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. 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 TalentAcquisition@Legal-aid.org.

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. Please submit these documents as a combined PDF when you apply.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@Legal-aid.org.

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