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PO Box 27010, 7782 Crittenden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19118
(267) 277-3404 (phone)

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Summer 2018 Law Student Internship

Description: 

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia offers a summer internship program for approximately 20 students that have completed their first or second year of law school. Applications from second-year law students can be submitted beginning July 28, 2017 for summer 2018 internships.  First-year law students are eligible to apply after December 1, 2017.  Applications for the summer internship program are accepted and offers made on a rolling basis. 

CLS offers a rich and exciting summer internship experience.  Our law students receive exceptional training and the opportunity to work with some of the most talented legal minds in civil legal services. Students are placed in a specific CLS unit, and also have the opportunity to learn through special programming throughout the summer about the other areas of CLS’s work. All CLS interns will have the opportunity to work directly with clients, engage with the communities we serve, and contribute to systemic advocacy efforts to advance economic and racial equity.

At CLS we are actively engaged in dialogue regarding how legal services organizations can contribute to and further racial justice for low income communities.  CLS has a Diversity and Inclusion Committee that structures this conversation as CLS continues to find ways to enhance its legal practice model. 

CLS is also committed to ensuring our staff, including our law student interns, reflects the clients and communities we serve.  We strongly encourage law students from diverse backgrounds to apply for our internship.  In your cover letter we invite you to tell us how your unique background and/or experiences can contribute to the diversity, vitality, and cultural perspective of our legal practice, staff, and clients.

Internships at CLS are unpaid. Students whose socio-economic circumstances are such that an unpaid internship would be an exceptional hardship are encouraged to disclose this in their cover letter or reach out to one of the co-chairs of the law student hiring committee. CLS will work with our students to find sources of funding and obtain housing for the summer in Philadelphia if needed.

Students who are interested in later applying for post-graduate legal fellowships with CLS should apply to our summer program.  In recent years, CLS has been host to attorney fellows sponsored by Skadden, Independence, Equal Justice Works, and other fellowship funders.  The experience gained during the summer and contacts made during an internship at CLS can be invaluable in the fellowship application process.

Jamie Gullen and Catherine Martin, Staff Attorneys, are the Co-Chairs of the Law Student Hiring Committee.  If you have any questions about the summer internship program email Catherine or Jamie.

Requirements: 

To Apply: 

To apply for a summer internship, please submit  the following:

  • Resume 
  • Cover letter addressing interest and experience in public interest and poverty law/racial justice advocacy
  • Law school transcript
  • List of three (3) references

Information

Submission Deadline: 
February 14, 2018
Organization Information: 
Community Legal Services of Philadelphia
1424 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
United States
Phone: 215-981-3744