Law Reform Legal Intern - Fall 2026

About the role

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. The Law Reform units consist of:

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.
• Contribute to legal research; factual research;
• Client interviewing;
• Participating in discovery and trial practice as opportunities arise;
• Contributing to legal papers, policy memos, or legislative testimony;
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• 2L and 3L 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

Pay, Benefits, and Stipends

This role has no salary. Stipends & benefits: Interns may be eligible for financial assistance, public interest funding, or academic credit through their law school. These internships may also qualify for pro bono credit. Additionally, interns may apply for the Howard Rossbach and Mary Boresz Pike Stipend administered by the Legal Aid Society.

Application

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. Applicants, in the Cover Letter be sure to identify one or more of the Law Reform Units of interest. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applicants will be notified whether or not they have been selected for an interview. Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

To be considered for these stipends, interns: Must be enrolled as a law student at any accredited institution; Must ultimately be accepted to participate in an internship program at LAS; Must demonstrate financial need; Must lack funding for their internship.

To be considered for a stipend, simultaneously fill out the 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.

The Howard Rossbach 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 Mary Boresz Pike Intern Fund was established by Richard S. Rosenthal in 2026 to support law school internships at LAS. The fund honors Mary Boresz Pike, a brilliant, principled, and tenacious attorney whose career was defined by her unwavering commitment to civil liberties and human rights, especially in defense of individuals persecuted for exercising beliefs or viewpoints suppressed by their governments.

The J. Howard Rossbach and Mary Boresz Pike Internship Stipends, awarded through a lottery system, aim to support interns at The Legal Aid Society who demonstrate financial need and lack funding for their internships.

To be considered for these stipends, interns: Must be enrolled as a law student at any accredited institution; Must ultimately be accepted to participate in an internship program at LAS; Must demonstrate financial need; Must lack funding for their internship.