Criminal Defense Practice Legal Intern – Spring 2026

The Legal Aid Society, the nation's oldest and largest social justice legal services organization, has Spring 2026 Legal Internships for the Criminal Defense Practice (CDP) 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.

Internships available throughout CDP's units, including the trial offices, applicants can also choose among the special practice offices, including the two listed below.

The Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB)

CAB assists indigent defendant-appellants challenging their convictions on direct appeal, as well as providing a variety of other  post-conviction services. Appellate Interns are primarily responsible for drafting sentence reduction briefs following felony guilty pleas, as well as briefs challenging appeal waivers, SORA (sex offender registration act) risk level determinations and/or briefs challenging the sufficiency of misdemeanor accusatory instruments. There will also be opportunities to observe appellate arguments and trial court SORA hearings and engage in other aspects of the office’s practice.

The Criminal Appeals Bureau “Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA/CAB)

The recently enacted Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (“DVSJA”), Criminal Procedure Law § 440.47, enables survivors of domestic violence who meet certain criteria to apply for a reduction in their prison sentences. Working with CAB supervisors, staff attorneys, mitigation specialists, and paralegals, the DVSJA 2L Intern will support CAB’s DVSJA work to investigate, file, and litigate resentencing motions."

For more information about the work of the Criminal Defense Practice and our specialized units please go to: https://www.legalaidnyc.org/programs-projects-units/

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

We are seeking dynamic, passionate, and creative legal interns committed to our mission. Interns will work directly with supervising attorneys. Duties may include:

• Drafting motions, conducting legal research, and assisting with investigations
• Assisting with client interviews, reviewing and organizing discovery
• Other duties as assigned

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Current law school student in good standing – 2Ls and 3Ls
• 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, deadlines, and think critically

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

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

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applicants will be notified whether they have been selected for an interview. 

• Resume
• Cover letter

STIPENDS & BENEFITS

Interns who meet the eligibility criteria have an opportunity to receive a $1,000 stipend from the Howard Rossbach fund. The 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 J. Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend, awarded through a lottery system, aims to support 4-5 interns annually who demonstrate financial need and lack funding for their internship at The Legal Aid Society. To be considered for this stipend, interns must:

• Applicants must be enrolled as a degree seeking undergraduate or graduate student at any accredited institution
• Complete the Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend Form at the time of submitting their internship application.
• Must ultimately be accepted to participate in an internship program at LAS
• Must demonstrate financial need
• Must lack funding for their internship
• Must submit a statement reflecting the student’s strong interest in working at Legal Aid upon graduation

Application deadline (s):

Please refer to the deadline listed on the internship description you wish to apply to.

Stipend application:

To be considered for the J. Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend, simultaneously fill out the J. Howard Rossbach Internship Stipend Form  during the submission of your internship application. Only one application per applicant per year is permitted. If more than 4 or 5 applicants are eligible, then recipients will be selected by lottery. 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.

For additional information or inquiries about the internship stipend, please reach out to jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

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.

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; one's gender identity may be male, female, neither or both, e.g., non-binary), 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 be distinctively male or female and 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.