Criminal Defense Practice Legal Intern - Fall 2026

The Legal Aid Society, the nation's oldest and largest social justice legal services organization, has Fall 2026 Legal Internships for the Criminal Defense Practice throughout the city. The Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender in New York City, providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 200,000 people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges. Staff Attorneys will provide zealous advocacy and handle all aspects of criminal defense from arraignment through trial. We are seeking dynamic, passionate, and creative legal interns committed to our mission.

This job description may be revised and updated if internships become remote during the Fall semester. Interns will work directly under the supervision of Criminal Practice attorneys. Mandatory supervision will be conducted remotely. Students will also have the chance to attend remote intern trainings, webinars and CLE’s relevant to their internship. All intern duties and responsibilities will remain the same.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/ RESPONSIBILITIES

Interns will work directly with supervising attorneys. Duties may include:

• Drafting motions
• Conducting legal research,
• Assisting with investigations
• Assisting with client interviews
• Reviewing and organizing discovery
• Other duties as assigned
• Current 2L law school student in good standing
• Relevant clinical program or work experience is preferred, but not required
• Demonstrated commitment or interest to indigent defense
• Demonstrated commitment and interest in serving racially and socioeconomically oppressed communities
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with all members of the staff
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and think critically

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Current 2L law school student in good standing
• Relevant clinical program or work experience is preferred, but not required
• Demonstrated commitment or interest to indigent defense
• Demonstrated commitment and interest in serving racially and socioeconomically oppressed communities
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with all members of the staff
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and think critically

SALARY TRANSPARENCY
As an intern position, this role has no salary.

STIPENDS & BENEFITS  

Interns may be eligible for financial assistance, public interest funding, or academic credit through their law school. These internships may also qualify for pro bono credit.

Additionally, interns may apply for the Howard Rossbach and Mary Boresz Pike Stipend administered by the Legal Aid Society.

The Howard Rossbach stipend was established in memory of Judge J. Howard Rossbach, Attorney-in-Chief of The Legal Aid Society (1950-1952, 1953-1955), whose mentorship encouraged young lawyers’ dedication to civic engagement through legal aid.

The Mary Boresz Pike Intern Fund was established by Richard S. Rosenthal in 2026 to support law school internships at LAS. The fund honors Mary Boresz Pike, a brilliant, principled, and tenacious attorney whose career was defined by her unwavering commitment to civil liberties and human rights, especially in defense of individuals persecuted for exercising beliefs or viewpoints suppressed by their governments.

The J. Howard Rossbach and Mary Boresz Pike Internship Stipends, awarded through a lottery system, aim to support interns at The Legal Aid Society who demonstrate financial need and lack funding for their internships.

To be considered for these stipends, interns:

• Must be enrolled as a law student at any accredited institution
• Must ultimately be accepted to participate in an internship program at LAS
• Must demonstrate financial need
• Must lack funding for their internship

To be considered for a stipend, simultaneously fill out the Internship Stipend Form during the submission of your internship application. Only one application per applicant per year is permitted. Please do not submit multiple forms even if you are applying for multiple internships. Selected interns will be notified prior to the start of their internships. The stipend will be treated as taxable income.

Application deadline: Stipend opportunities are awarded seasonally; deadlines may vary.

HOW TO APPLY


All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process.

Please submit these documents as a combined PDF when you apply.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@Legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.