SARGENT SHRIVER NATIONAL CENTER ON POVERTY LAW

2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR LEGAL INTERSHIP PROGRAM

The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law is pleased to announce its legal internship, externship, and practicum program for the 2016-2017 school year. Participants will have the opportunity to work with advocates while learning about community lawyering, impact litigation, and policy change. Interns play a crucial role in our advocacy program and assist with research and writing assignments in support of our impact litigation and policy proposals. We ask that students commit to a minimum of 12 hours per week.

For students willing to commit to working with us for the full school year, we welcome students interested in working on a policy campaign with an advocate at the Shriver Center. These interns will have the opportunity to work closely with a particular advocacy project and join the advocate in coalition meetings and legislative session in support of the advocacy campaign.

About the Shriver Center: The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law provides national leadership in advancing laws and policies that secure justice to improve the lives and opportunities of people living in poverty. The Shriver Center ensures that laws and policies provide low-income people with access to adequate health care, decent housing, a safety net, and opportunities to achieve their full potential. Our advocates work for positive policy and systems changes across a range of issues important to people living in poverty; including budget and tax issues, community justice, juvenile justice, early childhood, education, employment, healthcare, housing, public benefits, workforce development, and issues affecting women and girls. To achieve these goals, the Shriver Center organizes the Racial Justice Training Institute, Responsible Budget Coalition, and the Legal Impact Network.

How to apply: Students interested in a legal internship should email Emily Coffey at with a cover letter describing your interests and other time commitments for the semester/school year, resume, writing sample, and transcript. All materials must be submitted as Portable Document Format (PDF) files. While this is an unpaid internship, we are willing to work with students to obtain course credit or outside funding. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

LAW SCHOOL EXTERNSHIP INFORMATION: THIS OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS WHO WISH TO EARN EXTERNSHIP CREDIT FOR THEIR WORK DURING THE SPRING SEMESTER. THE FALL EXTERNSHIP DEADLINE HAS PASSED.

STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE AN INTERNAL APPLICATION AND SUBMIT IT TO PROFESSOR GOUGH BY THE APPROPRIATE DEADLINES. THE DEADLINE FOR THE SPRING 2017 SEMESTER IS DECEMBER 16, 2016. STUDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SUMMER EXTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE SHRIVER CENTER’S WEBSITE. THE DEADLNE FOR THE SUMMER 2017 SEMESTER IS APRIL 17, 2017.