Law Scholars for Change Summer Legal Internship Program for Animals

The Law Scholars for Change summer legal internship program is a component of a focused scholarship, clerkship, and fellowship support program launched in 2020 by Charles Anderson and Pamela Gross in partnership with the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Law Scholars for Change is committed to cultivating the education, practical experience, scholarship, and life work of a distinguished group of aspiring law school students, postgrads, and professionals as they advocate for farmed animals. By supporting a high level of education and nurturing a community, the program primarily aims to advance the protections and rights of animals suffering immensely in concentrated animal feeding operations. The ultimate goal is to end factory farming altogether.

As a Law Scholars for Change legal intern with Mercy For Animals, you will gain invaluable legal advocacy experience in the field of animal protection. You will connect directly with our team of attorneys who will supervise your work on a wide variety of high-impact projects. Your tasks may include researching and analyzing federal, state, and local laws; drafting memoranda and creating presentations related to programmatic and fundraising projects; drafting and revising contracts; and assisting with corporate governance tasks pertaining to legal compliance. Throughout your internship, you will receive constructive feedback and gain hands-on experience in various legal disciplines. You will leave with invaluable insights into the field of animal law that you can apply to your future career.

The Details

• Requirements: The Law Scholars for Changelegal internship program is open to Law Scholars for Change members and other current law students, as well as lawyers with a license to practice law in at least one U.S. state.
• Schedule and payment: Law Scholars for Changeinterns will work up to 29 hours per week for eight to 12 weeks in summer 2024. Interns will earn $20 per hour. Interns will be paid by Mercy For Animals through a grant from the Law Scholars for Change intern fund held by the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark Law School.
• Location: This opportunity is remote. Legal interns will meet virtually at least twice per week with their attorney supervisor and attend Mercy For Animals legal team meetings and other internal events.
• Selection process: The application deadline is December 20, 2023. We will interview top candidates in January and make offers by the end of the month.
• Community building: Legal interns at Mercy For Animals will meet with one another virtually once a week. Interns will attend educational sessions with various Mercy For Animals teams, such as investigations, campaigns, policy, and organizing, to learn about our organization’s work. In addition, Law Scholars for Changeinterns become members of the Law Scholars for Change network, with access to additional opportunities and benefits from the Law Scholars for Change program. They will be invited to attend a virtual event with the program founders.