Summer Internships
Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid Summer 2024 Internship Announcement
Program Overview
Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid are seeking law student interns for our 10-week, full-time Summer Internship Program expected to begin late-May or early-June. The start date and hours depend on applicant and program availability. The internships may be a hybrid of remote and in-person time. Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid work together on certain legal issues, but our offices offer separate internship opportunities. Interested students should indicate in their cover letter whether they would like to be considered for Legal Services Vermont, Vermont Legal Aid, or both.
Legal Services Vermont (LSV) is partnering with Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellowship Program to offer a paid law student internship opportunity for one summer intern. The internship is expected to start Tuesday, May 28, and finish on Friday, August 2, though these dates are subject to change depending on intern and program availability. The pay is $7,000 for the entire summer.
LSV provides students the opportunity to engage in client intake, draft memos, work with community groups, and conduct legal research. Rising 3Ls who have completed an Evidence course may participate in judicial proceedings under supervision of a mentor attorney. All students should expect a large part of their time on direct client services. Students may assist attorneys in court and shadow judicial proceedings, typically eviction defense and matters supporting victims of domestic crime. Students may also work on a project such as designing a community education program, creating written outreach materials, or developing substantive law guides for advocates. Find out more about us here: www.legalservicesvt.org.
Vermont Legal Aid offers students the opportunity to work on a variety of individual or systemic cases through research projects, policy review and analysis, and attorney support on cases and other advocacy efforts. VLA works in several different Projects; you can find more information about the work of those Projects here: www.vtlegalaid.org/our-projects. In many Projects, interns will work on individual cases with their supervising attorney, interview clients, conduct merit reviews, complete legal research, and provide advice and advocacy support. For qualified interns (rising 3Ls who have satisfactorily completed a course in Evidence), depending on the supervising attorney’s caseload, opportunities may exist to appear in a court or administrative proceeding.
Training & Mentorship
Both Internship Programs include substantive law training meant to expose students to substantive aspects of poverty law including eviction defense and housing issues, access to health care, and public benefits. Interns will also receive training in client interviewing, legal research and writing, and trauma-informed lawyering.
Interns will be placed with a supervising attorney who will help guide the intern’s work throughout the summer. Interns will have the opportunity to work with other legal advocates in their office as well. Applicants should indicate if they have a particular interest in one of our projects or areas of law.
Funding & Credit
The internship program with Legal Services Vermont is paid. The internship program with Vermont Legal Aid is unpaid. We will work with you to fulfill any requirements necessary to allow access to work-study, public interest, or Equal Justice AmeriCorps funding. We can also assist students offered positions with pursuing externship credit in lieu of summer funding.
Application & Selection Process
Law students may apply for Legal Services Vermont’s Rural Summer Legal Corps fellowship through the Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellowship page. Interested students must apply through Equal Justice Works by February 13, 2024. Applicants are screened by Equal Justice Works staff. Equal Justice Works will then send a list of applicants to Legal Services Vermont for a direct interview with us shortly after February 16.
Law students may also apply directly to us for Legal Services Vermont’s fellowship. To be considered, interested students must state in their application materials that they would like to be considered for Legal Services Vermont’s Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellowship. Please note for direct applicants, the deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Students should only apply either directly to us or through Equal Justice Works, but not both. There is no preference for students who apply directly or through Equal Justice Works.
To apply directly, please e-mail a cover letter including office preference, resume, unofficial law school transcript, and at least 2 references to hiring@vtlegalaid.org on or before January 17 with the subject line “2024 Summer Internship Program”.
LEGAL SERVICES VERMONT AND VERMONT LEGAL AID ARE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYERS. WE ENCOURAGE WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OLDER PEOPLE, AND LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, QUEER, AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE TO APPLY.