An opportunity for impact

Navigate changing problems and prepare for the exceptional opportunities that await you.

Help change the world

From assisting your clients with challenges to providing them with required help, thus changing their lives.

Broaden your skills

Work on a wide-range of legal projects and benefitted from substantive contact with our staff attorneys.

Career growth & development

We want to provide you with tools, resources, and feedback to help you achieve your goals.

Working at Legal Aid

Former and current Legal Aid attorneys

Legal Aid DC is a fast-paced non-profit law office committed to providing high quality civil legal services to persons living in poverty in the District of Columbia. Our staff is passionate about what we do and the clients we serve. And as an organization, we care deeply about our employees and their well-being. We are also committed to providing significant professional development opportunities for our staff. Legal Aid DC is proud to have been included in the 2019 list of “Best Non-Profits to Work For” compiled by The Non-Profit Times.

Legal Aid DC values an inclusive, diverse workplace and does not unlawfully discriminate on any basis prohibited by law. Legal Aid DC is also committed to equal employment opportunity. Employment decisions are made consistent with both Legal Aid DC’s organizational values and the law, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.

Legal Aid is currently accepting applications for the following positions:

 

 

Please note that because of the volume of applications that we typically receive, we regret that we will only be able to contact those candidates whom we would like to invite to participate in an interview. When you submit your application, you should receive an auto-response indicating that it has been received. Please do not send follow-up email messages or contact us by phone to inquire about your application. Thank you for your interest.

Legal Aid’s Student Internship Program

 

 

Eviction exhibit visit

Legal Aid DC has academic year (fall and spring semester) and summer internship opportunities for law and undergraduate students. We expect summer interns to work full time from May 29, 2024, to August 9, 2024. We expect academic year interns to work a minimum of 12 hours per week -- to be arranged according to their class schedules – or more if their class schedule allows them to do so.  

Legal Aid DC’s academic year internships are generally unfunded, but we can work with law schools to ensure that interns receive course credit.  

We have limited funding for full-time summer interns to help eliminate financial hardship for those who wish to pursue a career in public interest law and increase racial diversity and diversity of lived experiences in the legal profession, specifically in legal services.  

Because our funding is limited, we work with prospective interns to help secure funding from other sources (including their colleges or law schools, or other fellowship programs). Interns who are unable to secure funding from another source can apply to Legal Aid DC for funding to cover living and other expenses. Please see here for more information about our scholarship opportunities and eligibility.

Law Student Interns

Law student interns are assigned to one of Legal Aid DC’s substantive practice areas or to the Barbara McDowell Appellate Advocacy Project and should express an area(s) of interest in their cover letter when submitting their applications. 

Law student interns assist our attorneys in a variety of ways, depending on the practice area or project where they are working. Interns generally have the opportunity to interact with clients and may attend client meetings, hearings, trials, administrative proceedings, or arguments before the D.C. Court of Appeals. They also may help staff our units’ court-based projects or hotlines.  We give our summer legal interns a good mix of assignments, including legal research and writing, client follow-ups, and factual investigation, where possible. 

Undergraduate Student Interns

Undergraduate interns are generally not assigned to a practice area or project. Undergraduate intern responsibilities include answering telephone inquiries from persons seeking legal assistance; filing and retrieving court documents; greeting potential clients who come to Legal Aid for assistance; serving subpoenas; reviewing and organizing legal files; drafting correspondence; and summarizing intake interviews. Interns participate in internal meetings and are responsible for some administrative duties. Undergraduate interns also may have the opportunity to conduct factual research and investigations, attend client meetings, and observe hearings and trials. 

To Apply for an Internship

Please see our employment page for our internship postings. Fall internship openings will be posted in early May. Our application includes a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and proof of matriculation (e.g., unofficial transcript, matriculation letter, etc.)

Because of the volume of applications that we receive, we are only able to contact those candidates whom we would like to interview. 

Volunteer

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Legal Aid has some limited opportunities for volunteers to contribute outside of our more formal Pro Bono and Internship Programs. Over the years, Legal Aid has benefited greatly from volunteer attorneys and others with special skills who have expressed an interest in working with us.

If you are interested in exploring volunteer opportunities beyond handling a pro bono case or doing an internship, please send an email to volunteer@legalaiddc.org. Please include a resume and a brief description of what skills you can contribute, and what hours you are available. Please note that we receive a large number of inquiries from potential volunteers, so we may not be able to accommodate your request. But we would be more than happy to hear from you.