Law Student Internship

Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (MA Appleseed) is seeking a law student intern for the spring 2024 semester. 

Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is a non-profit organization driven by a mission to promote equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues. Our projects seek systems-level change so all Massachusetts families and youth can exercise their legal rights, build pathways out of poverty and crisis, and thrive. We accomplish this through multiple strategies, including policy analysis and research, coalition building, education and training, community organizing, and advocacy.  

We focus on three primary policy areas: 

• Access to Justice: Eliminating the many systemic barriers within Massachusetts’ legal systems and various administrative agencies that deny justice to thousands of residents each year, guaranteeing language access, and reforming the courts and administrative tribunals to make them more “user friendly” to people who cannot afford an attorney. We are particularly interested in how technology can be used to achieve these goals. 
• Educational Justice: Protecting students’ rights, promoting racial equity, and advocating for policy change to keep all students in class where they are safe, supported, and available for learning, with a particular focus on the disparate impact of school discipline policies on students of color, also known as the “school-to-prison pipeline.” 
• Youth Homelessness: Providing policy recommendations, easing systemic barriers, and developing legal resources to help youth experiencing homelessness build safe, stable futures. 

Interns will engage in a variety of activities, which may include the following:  

• Attending and summarizing Access to Justice Commission meetings, coalition meetings, strategy meetings, legislative briefings, and other meetings;  
• Legal and legislative research and writing;  
• Drafting testimony, correspondence, newsletters, fact sheets, e-alerts and other advocacy materials;
• Literature reviews and summaries;
• Drafting and compiling, summarizing and analyzing the results of FOIA and other open records requests;
• Interacting with and interviewing stakeholders and impacted parties in each of our three priority policy areas (access to justice, educational justice, and youth homelessness) across the state;
• Analyzing and evaluating courts’ and administrative agencies’ practices and policies using an access to justice lens;
• Analyzing data from various local, state, and federal courts and agencies;
• Helping the staff plan and prepare for Board meetings, conferences, stakeholder meetings, etc.

Applicants must have strong legal and non-legal research and writing skills. Strong time management and organizational skills are also required. Applicants must also be proficient in Westlaw or Lexis and the Microsoft Office Suite. Most important, applicants must have an interest in promoting social justice. 

Interns gain valuable experience in legislative advocacy, legal research and writing, and non-profit administration, and have the opportunity to engage with prominent members of the legal and legislative communities. For those not receiving class credit, a stipend of up to $500 is also available. Students with an interest in law, social justice, and legislative affairs are encouraged to apply.  

Internships typically begin in January and end in May and entail a minimum time commitment of 10-12 hours per week. 

We are currently on a hybrid schedule, with staff working remotely except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when we are in the office. However, we are open to interns working fully remotely if that is their preference. Interns are encouraged to use their own computer/laptop for Appleseed work. Local applicants who do not have a personal computer/laptop or who prefer not to use their personal computer/laptop will be provided with one. Exact starting date and work days/hours are flexible. 

To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to Kayla Pulliam (kayla@massappleseed.org). Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.  

Massachusetts Appleseed is committed to fostering the leadership and elevating the voices of people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, low-income people, immigrants, young people who were formerly involved in the child welfare system, young people who were formerly involved in the criminal justice system, people with disabilities, and people living in the many intersections of these experiences. We encourage people from these communities and people with experience outside traditional internship programs to apply. 

Massachusetts Appleseed is an Equal Opportunity Employer, is committed to diversity in its workforce, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military status or any other status protected by applicable law.