Internships
Law School Student Internships
Community Legal Aid (CLA) accepts law student interns during the academic year (fall and spring semester), but primarily accepts interns for our 10-week summer internship program. Academic year interns are expected to work a minimum of 10 hours per week, to be arranged according to their class schedule. CLA also encourages students participating in a co-op program to consider working with us for a semester or school year. Summer interns work full-time (35 hours a week) for 10 weeks and also participate in weekly learning sessions that introduce the different types of legal aid work at CLA.
Law student interns are assigned to one of CLA’s substantive practice areas and will assist CLA attorneys in representing clients. Specific responsibilities vary by unit but may include:
- Conducting client interviews and advising clients with appropriate supervision
- Researching and drafting briefs and other legal documents
- Assisting in preparing pleadings
- Assisting in trial and/or hearing preparation
- Attending community meetings, outreach events, and/or court and agency hearings with staff advocates
We encourage students selected for internships with CLA to secure funding through law school public interest scholarships, work-study options, the Massachusetts Bar Foundation Internship stipends, or other funding sources. We pay our summer interns if they cannot receive summer stipends/funding from their law schools. To apply, submit this application along with your cover letter and resume to Ingrid Liu, Recruitment Coordinator, at iliu@cla-ma.org.
As of March 25th, 2024, we are actively looking for:
- 2Ls interested in Family law in the Worcester Office
- Spanish-speaking 1Ls or 2Ls interested in the Migrant Farmworkers Project in Springfield
Undergraduate Student Internships
Community Legal Aid accepts undergraduate students year-around based on units’ needs. We are currently not accepting any more undergraduate interns for the summer. Applications for fall 2024 internships will open in summer.
