The Tommy Raskin Summer Legal Intern Program for Animals was established in 2021 in memory of Tommy Raskin, who we hosted as a legal intern during the summer of 2020 after his first year of law school. Tommy was a visionary and intellectually rigorous animal activist who brought kindness and insight to every encounter. Tommy had a profound impact on us and inspires us to continue working on the issues that he cared about.

Mercy For Animals is deeply grateful to the Raskin family and the Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animals, through the Greater Washington Community Foundation, for the chance to honor Tommy’s contributions through three paid legal internships. The Raskin legal interns will continue Tommy’s work to end one of the greatest causes of suffering: the exploitation of animals for food.

As a Raskin legal intern, you’ll help shape farmed animal protection law and gain invaluable legal advocacy experience to apply to your future work. You will assist on high-impact projects, such as campaigns, litigation, and policy work, while connecting directly with our team of attorneys to research and analyze federal, state, and local laws; draft memoranda; review undercover footage; execute campaigns; and assist with administrative and corporate governance tasks pertaining to general nonprofit administration and legal compliance. You’ll leave with hands-on experience in a wide variety of legal disciplines and insight into the field of animal protection.

In addition to the Tommy Raskin summer internship program, Mercy For Animals offers paid internships during the fall and spring, which can be completed remotely. We are looking for a minimum commitment of eight weeks.