Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

Salary:

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 appellate matters. We also work on immigration matters and help individuals 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 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,

This internship is for Summer 2026 and will be 10.5 weeks in duration. Interns at Legal Aid DC have the unique opportunity to receive substantive assignments that will have an immediate impact on our clients. Interns work out of Legal Aids offices in NW DC, with the option to perform some work remotely if approved by their supervisor. Summer interns should expect to work full time. The intern will report to a Staff Attorney in the Domestic Violence & Family Law unit.

The DV/Family Law unit handles caseloads of Civil Protection Order, custody, child support, and divorce cases. Weparticipatein community outreach,interview prospective clients, and engage in systemic reform efforts. The DV/Family Law unit primarily works out of our NW office but may also work out of orhelp staff one or morecommunity offices: in NW at the DCSuperior Courthouse, in SE at the Big Chair office complex in Anacostia, and the Child Support Resource Centerand Family Law Assistance Network courthouse project officesat DC Superior Court.

Responsibilities:

• Learn about all substantive issue areas we handle (custody, divorce, child support, parentage, Civil Protection Orders)
• Shadow at court-based projects (the Domestic Violence Intake Center(s), Child Support Resource Center, and Family Law Assistance Network)
• Drafting motions and other filings
• Conducting legal research and writing memoranda
• Contacting existing clients to provideupdates or obtain information
• Conducting intake interviews with new applicants
• Contacting potential witnesses
• Drafting hearing notes/trial materials (such as direct examinations, cross examinations, opening statements, or closing arguments)
• Reviewing and analyzing evidence
• Assist with trial preparation (organizing exhibits, etc.)
• Attending court hearings (including taking notes on testimony for attorneys)

Requirements: Current law school student or graduate interested in public interest and or domestic violence/family law.

Scholarship Funding:

Legal Aid DC can provide scholarship funding to ensure that summer law students receive no less than $6,283 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 $6,283 to summer law school interns when:

• They attend a school that does not provide funding OR they are not approved for at least $6,283 of funding from their schools

AND

• They do not get funding from any other outside sources that gets them to total funding of $6,283 for the summer

Example: if a student receives $5,000 of outside funding, Legal Aid will pay them $1,283 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 matriculationhere. Applications will be accepted until 5:00pm November 4, 2025.

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