Intern, Public Benefits Law Unit (Summer 2027)

Description

Legal Aid DC, a nonprofit organization with an approximately $18 million annual budget and a staff of approximately 125 employees, is seeking a Summer Intern to join our Public Benefits Law Unit.

Since 1932, Legal Aid has provided civil legal assistance to clients in individual cases and engaged in systemic reform. Currently, we provide individual representation in consumer law, domestic violence/family law, housing, public benefits, and immigration matters. We also help people with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic impact and appellate litigation. Legal Aid also administers the DC Resource Bridge, a single access point for legal services in the District.

Legal Aid believes that meaningful pursuit of our anti-poverty mission requires an unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity. We aspire both to reflect the rich racial diversity of the communities we serve and to value, respect, and empower our staff and clients to be effective agents of change. For more information about Legal Aid please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org.

Our work is supported through public and private grants and private fundraising from individuals, law firms, and other contributors.

Interns at Legal Aid DC have the unique opportunity to receive substantive assignments that will have an immediate impact on our clients. This internship is for Summer 2027 and will be 10 weeks in duration. Summer interns should expect to work full-time (40 hours per week). Interns mainly work out of Legal Aid’s NW DC office, with the option to perform some work remotely if approved by their supervisor. Summer interns may be required to perform duties off site, and will be required to travel locally for summer programming events.

The summer term is from May 27th through August 6th.

Legal Aid has a broad and energetic Public Benefits Unit where interns have the opportunity to work with a number of attorneys and public benefits specialists. The unit helps families and individuals overcome legal barriers to accessing essential safety net benefits such as Unemployment Insurance, Social Security, SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and DC HealthCare Alliance. The intern will provide substantive, administrative, and project support for the Public Benefits Unit. The intern will report to a staff attorney in the Public Benefits Unit.  attorney in the Public Benefits Unit.

Responsibilities:

• Performing legal and factual research for unit attorneys
• Writing briefs, client correspondence, and third-party letters/statements, and other forms of legal writing
• Calling local government offices with clients to determine the status of their benefits (including the DC Health Care Ombuds Office, the Department of Human Services, the Social Security Administration)
• Reviewing medical records
• Drafting flyers or other pro se materials
• Conducting intakes and follow up interviews with applicants
• Observing the activities of unit attorneys, including administrative hearings and substantive client calls
• Attending unit meetings and Legal Aid DC all staff meetings
• Observing and taking notes at meetings and hearings for the benefit of the unit

 Scholarship Funding:

Legal Aid DC can provide scholarship funding to ensure that summer law students receive no less than $6,440 per summer, including scholarships from the Lee Horton Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Public Interest Lawyers.

Summer law students are required to apply for outside funding to fund their internships in order to receive supplemental scholarship funding. We will provide a scholarship up to $6,440 to summer law school interns when:

• They attend a school that does not provide funding OR they are not approved for at least $6,440 of funding from their schools 

AND

• They do not get funding from any other outside sources that gets them to total funding of $6,440 for the summer

Example: if a student receives $5,000 of outside funding, Legal Aid will pay them $1,440 in scholarship funding.

Students may waive funding if they are prohibited from receiving renumeration by their law school.

To Apply:

Legal Aid values an inclusive, diverse workplace and encourages applications from interested persons from diverse backgrounds of any race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.

We strongly encourage applications from people with personal experience with the criminal justice system and/or with lived experiences in the communities we serve.

Submit your application, cover letter, resume, writing sample and transcript or letter of matriculation here. Applications will be accepted until 5pm EST on October 23, 2026.

Requirements

Enrollment in law school and interest in public interest law. Interest in or experience with public benefits programs preferred.