Law Reform Legal Intern - Fall 2026

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 consists of: 

 

1. CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW REFORM TEAM – This team has four 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 
• Prisoners’ Rights Project
• Incarcerated Client Services Unit
• Decarceration Unit

2. LAW REFORM UNIT OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE (INCLUDING HOMELESS RIGHTS UNIT)

3. SPECIAL LITIGATION AND LAW REFORM UNIT OF THE JUVENILE RIGHTS PRACTICE

4. LGBTQ+ LAW AND POLICY INITIATIVE UNIT 

 

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.

 

Review The Legal Aid Society's website for more specific descriptions of the work of each of these units and identify which unit(s) you'd be interested in working with in your cover letter.

 

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.

 

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

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

As an intern position, 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.

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