When I was in law school, I knew I wanted to work in public interest. So as a 1L, I started asking around. Everyone told me the same thing: if you want to intern in the public interest sector, you have to participate in the Southern California Public Interest Career Day. Coincidentally, it was hosted right at UCLA School of Law, where I was a student. The event was a huge deal—dozens of nonprofit and advocacy organizations all in one place, interviewing law students and recruiting summer interns. There was a process to apply in advance, and if an employer liked your materials, they could schedule an interview with you on the day of the fair.
During my 1L, the Public Interest Career Day served two main purposes:
- Pre-scheduled interviews for students who applied early, and
- Networking opportunities for anyone who wanted to meet organizations tabling in the hallways.
I remember that I had one of the highest numbers of interviews among my peers on that Saturday, which resulted in nearly a dozen offers. Ultimately, I accepted a summer internship at MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
That experience shaped my path in various ways. First, it confirmed that I wanted to be a civil rights attorney. Second, while I worked on education, voting rights, immigrants’ rights, and employment law cases, it was the employment cases that piqued my curiosity in an unexpected way. My summer internship taught me how to use the law as a tool for justice, especially when people face discrimination because of their race, immigration status, or skin color. It was also an invaluable opportunity to make life-long connections with the supervising attorneys.
When I returned to campus as a 2L, I met with my career counselor and told her I wanted to find an employment law internship focused on civil rights. She immediately pointed me to a fellowship program through Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion, and Resources (FAIR), the nonprofit advocacy arm of the California Employment Lawyers Association. (CELA) Through on-campus interviews, I connected with a plaintiff-side civil rights firm that eventually offered me a summer position (which eventually led to an offer to join the firm as an associate after law school!).
My 1L summer came through a large public interest fair. My 2L summer came through focused networking and mentorship. Both required planning, persistence, and asking for help.
What I’ve Learned After Eight Years in the Nonprofit Legal World
Fast forward to today—I’ve been working in the nonprofit sector for nearly a decade as a lawyer (and I’ve been in the nonprofit sector in some capacity since 2004, a decade before I became an attorney). As a nonprofit attorney, I’ve mentored law student interns from schools across the country and, for several years now, managed intern hiring.
Before COVID, our interns came into the office every day. Now, most of our work is remote, which has opened doors for students who might not have been able to relocate to Los Angeles. This shift has democratized access to public interest opportunities—something I wish existed when I was in law school. The reality was that I couldn’t afford to move away from home at the time so I’m glad that the move to remote opportunities opens the doors to more working students, low-income students, or students who are caretakers in their families.
Over the years, I’ve reviewed hundreds of applications for law student internships. Everyone screens differently, even within the same nonprofit organization. Based on my years of hiring interns and talking to others who hire interns at legal nonprofits, here are some lessons I want to share with those of you pursuing public interest legal internships with nonprofit organizations. (Also, these lessons and my reflections here are my own and do not reflect the position, policies, or practices of any current or former employer.)
1. Follow the Application Instructions
Many nonprofit organizations will post the instructions for internship opportunities on their websites. Read them carefully and follow them. When a screener has multiple or even dozens of applications and only a handful of positions, knocking out the applicants who did not follow the application instructions is sometimes the quickest way to narrow the pool.
2. Show That You Understand the Organization
Don’t send a generic cover letter. Explain why you want to work at this organization and, if possible, on this specific team. If it sounds like a form letter, your screener will likely be able to tell.
3. Connect Your Experience to the Work
Your cover letter should tell me who you are and why you’d be a good fit. Even if your background isn’t an exact match, highlight your transferable skills or lived experiences that connect to the work.
4. Be Strategic About Timing
Here’s a secret: nonprofit hiring is not always centralized. Different teams might have completely different application timelines, even within the same nonprofit organization. Some review applications on a rolling basis; others wait until the application deadline passes.
That’s why one of the most important steps you can take is to make your own internship tracker.
List 10–20 organizations you’re interested in, visit their websites, and note the deadlines and requirements for each. Even if the official deadline is in the spring, submit early—you never know when hiring managers start reviewing applications (unless they post that information on their website or you know someone who works at the organization).
Here are a few resources to help you search for public interest internships with non profit legal organizations (and beyond):
- Impact Fund: https://www.impactfund.org/jobs
- UCLA School of Law’s Public Interest Career Guides: https://law.ucla.edu/life-ucla-law/careers/office-public-interest-counseling/public-interest-career-guides-and-job-search-strategies
- Idealist.org – https://www.idealist.org/en
The Bottom Line
Public interest internships are competitive, but not out of reach. The key is to start early, stay organized, and make genuine connections. Use your career counselors, mentors, and classmates as resources—they often know about fellowship programs or internships that aren’t widely advertised.
And remember: every experience builds on the last. My first summer at MALDEF opened the door to my second summer in employment law, which ultimately shaped my career as a civil rights attorney.
If you’re passionate about public interest work, there’s a place for you—you just have to take the first step.
Want to Learn What Kind of Legal Work Fits You?
Not everyone is meant to work or wants to work in a nonprofit, and that’s okay. Some people thrive in policy roles, others in direct services, government, or private public interest firms. The key is figuring out where your skills, values, and interests intersect.
That’s why I created my Do You Want to Be a Lawyer? Workbook — a guided resource designed to help you explore what kind of legal work aligns with your goals. Inside, you’ll find reflective exercises to help you assess your strengths, explore different types of legal careers (including public interest, government, and private paths), and create a plan to start building experience now — no matter where you are in your journey.
If you’re serious about finding work that aligns with your values and purpose, this guide is a great place to start.
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