Community Legal Aid Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Legal Aid Society's Civil Practice has unpaid internships in its various NYC Borough offices and specialized units for Fall 2026.
Legal interns assist the Civil Practice attorneys, who work to improve the lives of low-income New Yorkers by helping vulnerable families and individuals obtain and maintain the basic necessities of life - housing, health care, food, and subsistence income or self-sufficiency. The attorneys enhance family and community stability and security by resolving a full range of legal problems, including but not limited to anti-eviction, domestic violence, family law, immigration, employment, tax, health, elder law, HIV/AIDS, and consumer law issues. For more information about the work of the Civil Practice and our specialized units please go to: https://www.legalaidnyc.org/programs-projects-units/
ESSENTIALDUTIES
Interns will work directly under the supervision of Civil Practice attorneys. Mandatory supervision will be conducted. Students will also have the chance to attend intern trainings, webinars, and CLE's relevant to their internship.
Duties may include: drafting motions, pleadings, memoranda of law, and affidavits; conducting legal research; attending court and administrative hearings with attorneys; assisting with client interviews; and other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS

• Is a current 2L or 3L law school student in good standing
• Relevant clinical program or work experience is preferred, but not required
• Demonstrated commitment to 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
• Fluency in languages besides English, in particular Spanish, is helpful but not required

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 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

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. Selected interns will be notified prior to the start of their internships. The stipend will be treated as taxable income.
Application deadline: Stipend opportunities are awarded seasonally; deadlines may vary.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

In the cover letter demonstrate your commitment to public interest law and include a ranked list of no more than three units, in order of preference. See the unit listing below. (NOTE: We may not be able to place you in one of your preferred units.) Please do not apply to any unit listed as (CLOSED). They have filled their internships for Fall 2026.
Community Development Project
Consumer Law Project
Education Law Project
Employment Law Unit
Family Law/Domestic Violence Practice
Foreclosure Prevention Project
Government Benefits
Disability Advocacy Practice
Health Law Unit (HLU)
HIV/AIDS Representation Project (H/ARP)
Housing Justice Unit - Group Advocacy Housing Practice
Housing Justice Unit - Tenant Defense
Housing Justice Unit - Housing Helpline
Immigration Law Unit
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic Project
Applicants will be notified whether they have been selected for an interview. Our hiring process is extremely competitive, and we encourage students to apply early.
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.
For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@Legal-aid.org.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.