Law Clerk Intern

Internship Summary

The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) is seeking students committed to transformational justice for summer internships.

• Locations:
• Chicago, Illinois
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Washington, D.C. (for current 2L students only)
• Type: Hybrid internships (2-3 days per week in the office)
• Commitment:
• Preferred: Full-time (40 hours/week for 10 weeks)
• Considered: Full-time (8 weeks)
• Eligibility: Current 1L and 2L law students.
• Cultural Competence: Applicants must possess and be committed to the cultural competence required to work with clients, co-workers, and community partners from diverse backgrounds.
• Encouraged Applicants: Individuals from communities disproportionately harmed by the criminal legal system, including people of color, low-income communities, formerly incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as those underrepresented in the legal profession.

About MJC

MJC is a national nonprofit civil rights organization that represents individuals harmed by America’s criminal legal system. Through cutting-edge litigation and advocacy, MJC seeks to vindicate rights, elevate stories, and hold those in power accountable. Their work spans issues from policing and prosecutorial overreach to mass incarceration, prison conditions, wrongful convictions, and the death penalty.

What You’ll Learn and Do

• Illinois Office (Chicago, IL):
• Immerse in a fast-paced civil rights litigation practice.
• Focus on issues including police misconduct, immigration enforcement, pretrial justice, mass imprisonment, racial injustice, and the criminalization of poverty.
• Draft legal briefs and memoranda.
• Work with clients and organizations.
• Conduct community outreach.
• Research case law.
• Draft discovery and participate in expert discovery.
• Prepare for depositions.
• Attend court hearings.
• Louisiana Office (New Orleans, LA):
• File civil rights actions challenging mass incarceration, conditions of confinement, law enforcement oppression, and the use of the death penalty.
• Represent individuals in select post-conviction and habeas corpus cases.
• Engage in research, drafting, discovery, and similar tasks on pending cases under attorney supervision.
• Supreme Court and Appellate Program (D.C. Office):
• Work primarily on appeals before federal circuit courts, state appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court, focusing on civil rights and criminal legal system issues.
• Contribute to ongoing appellate cases.
• Participate in strategy discussions.
• Perform legal research.
• Draft sections of briefs and other filings.
• Gain exposure to the appellate process, potentially including client meetings, strategic decision-making, case evaluation, factual record analysis, and moot oral arguments.

Qualifications

• Education: JD students in good standing.

To Apply

Submit the following materials via MJC’s application portal:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• A list of three references

• A writing sample (preferably a legal analytical writing sample, such as a brief or memo)

• If applying to more than one office, submit separate cover letters for each.

Application Deadlines

• 2L applications: 10/10/2026
• 1L applications: 01/04/2027

Funding & Stipend

• Interns are expected to apply for funding from their law schools.
• MJC will provide a stipend of up to $1000 per full week of participation if external funding is unavailable or insufficient.
• Stipends are offset by any external funding received and are payable in two installments during the summer.