Over the years, undergraduate students and recent college graduates have asked me how to find internships or jobs with legal aid organizations and other public interest nonprofits. Increasingly, I’m also being asked about roles in government or in the private sector. Some are interested in civil rights or supporting people from vulnerable communities, including immigrants. Others want exposure to the legal profession before before deciding whether to apply to law school.
In my opinion, there is no single path into this work. Hiring practices vary by employer and sometimes even by department, unit, or project within the same organization. Some organizations have formal internship programs. Others may hire college graduates for staff positions or need volunteers to help with a particular project.
And sometimes, an opportunity starts with a conversation. That was my experience before law school!
How I Found My First Opportunity at a Legal Nonprofit
About 15 years ago, during a recession, I moved back to California from Minnesota. At the time, law school was no longer my immediate goal. Instead, I was interested in earning a Master’s degree in Public Policy.
To explore graduate programs, I attended an Idealist.org Grad School Fair. There, I started a conversation with someone whose wife worked worked a research project at a legal nonprofit. Intrigued, I offered to volunteer on that research project. I had experience collecting and analyzing data, and I thought it would be a good way to contribute while keeping those skills fresh.
Eventually, I connected with the organization’s Legal Director and joined the project as a volunteer researcher. Since this was before the era before remote work, I went into the office every day. As a volunteer, I treated it as a job – I showed up, completed my work, and checked in with the project lead to ensure make sure were on track.
While there, I met several attorneys, many of whom encouraged to reconsider law school. I promised to apply to a pre-law fellowship program, and I followed through. That volunteer experience helped put me on the path to the fellowship, then law school, and ultimately a legal career. As a bonus, I made lifelong mentors and friends.
It began with a chance encounter, but a few things helped turn that conversation into an opportunity: I showed up to an event, was kind to others and chatted with friendly folks, and followed up.
While I cannot guarantee that your path will look like mine, here are a few ways I encourage students and recent college graduates to approach their search.
Tips for Finding Public Interest Law Internships and Jobs
Look Beyond Positions Called “Legal Intern”
Look for internships or job or volunteer opportunities with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or private public interest law firms. Job, volunteer, or intern openings come and go, so be sure to routinely check the websites for the entities you want to work or intern at.
Start with a Google search for your geographic location and type in the type of opportunity you want. For example, “volunteer opportunities with immigration legal nonprofit in Los Angeles, CA.”
Consider using platforms like Idealist.org or LinkedIn to find volunteer opportunities, internships, and jobs. If there is a specific organization you want to work with, search their website directly for internship opportunities.
Read the qualifications carefully. Some legal internships are specifically for law students. That does not necessarily mean the organization has no opportunities for you; keep searching.
Try searching for positions such as legal assistant, intake assistant, program assistant, research assistant, or community outreach intern. For paralegal positions, check whether the employer requires a certificate or other prior experience.
If you have already graduated, include paid staff positions in your search. An entry-level job may give you the exposure you are looking for, even if it is not described as a pre-law opportunity.
Make a List and Keep Track of Opportunities
One practical tip I often share is to make a list of 10-20 organizations, agencies, or law firms whose work interests you.
Bookmark their employment, internship, and volunteer pages. Use a note on your phone, a document, or spreadsheet – whatever works best for you – to track these pages, application deadlines, qualifications, contacts, and any other relevant information.
Check those pages periodically. Put a reminder in your phone or a hold on your calendar to help you check your notes and the webpages.
You can also set up Google Alerts for job posts in the field you’re interested in. For example, you can do a search query like “Los Angeles + immigrants’ rights” or “Los Angeles + immigration law” for a broad category if you’re seeking job posts in Los Angeles to do immigrants’ rights advocacy or work. You can narrow by adding other search terms, or being more specific like adding “job post” or “intern post” or other words or phrases to hone in on what you’re searching for.
Your list will continue changing as you learn more about opportunities. This is part of the process. Be patient.
Attend Events and Get to Know People Doing the Work
Attending events hosted by law schools, government agencies, bar associations, or legal aid organizations can help you learn about the profession and discover organizations you might not otherwise find.
Introduce yourself when there is an opportunity. Ask people about their work and how they got started. If you connect with someone, follow up with a brief note or connect on LinkedIn.
You do not need to begin by asking for a job. A conversation about someone’s work may help you understand what interests you and where to look next.
If you want to learn more about bar associations in Los Angeles, check out my post on building your legal community.
Consider Volunteering or Supporting an Advocacy Campaign
Volunteering can give you an opportunity to contribute, develop skills, and learn from people in the field. As my experience taught me, skills you already have may be useful in ways you have not considered.
At the same time, be realistic about what you can commit to. Unpaid work is not possible for everyone. if you need paid work, it’s okay to make that a priority in your search.
If a regular volunteer commitment does not fit your schedule or is not feasible for other reasons, consider participating in an advocacy campaign. Depending on the organization, that might mean helping with an event, contacting legislators about a statewide bill or local policy, or attending a public governmental meeting.
These can be ways to support work you care about while learning how community advocacy connects to law and public policy.
Interested in Immigration Law or Immigrants’ Rights Advocacy?
Though not the prime focus of my roles, immigrants’ rights and related policy advocacy has been a part of my career in different ways over many years.
If you are particularly interested in immigration law or immigrants’ rights, I encourage you to think about what you want to learn:
- Do you want to understand how attorneys work with clients?
- Do you want to learn about the types of paperwork one needs to complete to adjust their immigration status or receive asylum?
- Are you interested in policy research or policy advocacy?
- Do you want to engage in legislative advocacy?
- Would you like to learn about community education and organizing?
Those interests can point you toward different oportunities.
So when reviewing an organization’s website, you may be looking for differnt types of responsibilities involving client intake, administrative support, research, community outreach, cokmmunications, or program coordination.
If you speak another langauge, look for interpretation or translation opportunities and ask about the organization’s proficiency requiremetns and training.
Read the responsibilities closely. Working with an immigration-focused organization does not automatically mean you will work directly with attorneys or clients. Ask what you would do, who would supervise you, and whether the role offers the exposure you hope to gain.
Also, be sure to research the organization’s values to ensure they align with yours. Some organizations may have neutral-sounding names but may not be aligned with your values.
With these points in mind, here are a few places to begin your research:
- CARECEN in Los Angeles: CARECEN’s employment page is worth bookmarking. It lists positions that include paralegal roles; read each posting to determine whether your background fits.
- Immigrant Defenders: ImmDef’s Careers page is also worth bookmarking. It leads you to their job opportunities, which can include paralegal positions. While they do not offer standing volunteer opportunities, they encourage you to follow them so you’ll know when they share information about partner organizations or events for volunteers to plug in.
- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA): LAFLA’s career page lists roles, including legal secretary or paralegal positions, across its project areas. LAFLA has also a webpage dedicated to volunteer opportunities, which can include opportunities for undergraduate students so long as they are at least 18 years old and complete other steps.
- Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC): ICWC’s “Get Involved” page provides information on potential volunteer opportunities which may also include undergraduate students/graduates.
- Mexican Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): MALDEF’s Career Opportunities page lists positions acoss the organization’s multiple offices; read each posting to determine whether your background fits.
Consider Government Offices in Your Search
You can also explore city and county offices of immigrant affairs, as well as legislative offices working on issues affecting immigrant communities.
For example, the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs can help you learn about local programs, workshops, and resources. Use that information to identify work that interests you, then check the relevant county hiring or internship pages. An office’s program page does not necessarily mean it has an internship available.
Pay attention to the office’s mission and the actual assignment. Government work involving immigration can serve very different purposes. If your interest is immigrants’ rights advocacy, look closely at how the role relates to that interest.
Explain What You Can Contribute
When you apply or inquire about volunteering, be specific about why the organization’s work interests you and what you can offer.
You might highlight research, writing, data analysis, language skills, community involvement, or experience organizing events. Include your availability and whether you are seeking paid work, an internship, or a volunteer role.
As I learned from my own experience, you may already have skills an organization needs—even if you have never worked in a legal setting.
Good luck!
I wish you the best of luck in your journey!
Have you found a public interest internship, volunteer role, or job as a college student or recent graduate? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!
Leave a Reply