Types of Legal Opportunities
LAFLA offers law students opportunities to participate at LAFLA through a variety of ways and in a variety of projects. We encourage you to review our areas of law and our Mission Statement. Opportunities are unpaid and can be part-time or full-time. LAFLA also hosts students seeking academic credit for their service.
What Will I Be Doing as a Law Clerk?
Depending upon the LAFLA team, volunteers have the opportunity to provide various levels of assistance to clients under the supervision of an experienced advocate. Opportunities including but not limited to:
- Conduct client intake interviews
- Provide information/advice to clients
- Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda
- Gather and assess evidentiary and other supporting documents
- Analyze and assess client needs
- Draft motions and trial briefs
- Assist attorneys at court for motions and trials
- Develop resource and educational materials for clients
- Support policy work addressing issues affecting LAFLA clients
- Participate in coalition meetings
- Attend administrative or court proceedings
- Argue a motion in court (if certified)
Fall and Spring Volunteering: Internships and Externships
For Fall and Spring, LAFLA hires on an as-needed basis throughout the year. Students interested can apply here at any time. Offers for clerks during the school year will be made on a rolling basis during each hiring period. We accept applications from both 1L and 2L law students.
For externships, please inform LAFLA of your law school’s requirements and timelines, and provide your law school’s documents when applying.
At this time, LAFLA will hold a hybrid (remote/in-person) program, and placements are team-specific, with some teams requiring some in-person engagement while others may be able to facilitate full remote participation.
LAFLA has over a dozen legal teams and each team may have different hiring needs, but please note that most require a minimum of 8-12 hours per week. For those interested, please apply here.
Summer Law Clerk Program
Each summer, LAFLA hosts approximately 30-35 law students as part of the Summer Law Clerk Program. Law clerks volunteer on a full-time basis (7 hours a day minimum) and participate in various events and programs aimed at introducing them to the legal community.
LAFLA is committed to supporting pathways to public service, and fulltime summer law clerks have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience during the program and are eligible to receive a LAFLA educational reimbursement, tax exempt. Amounts for Summer 2026 will be announced later this year. For reference, in 2025 LAFLA provided up to $8,000 paid in two installments (first at the end of June and the second in the following January). Students who accept an offer to LAFLA’s summer program are eligible to apply to participate in our LEIF Program.
Our Summer 2026 Law Clerk Program will run from May 26 through July 31. At this time, we intend to hold a hybrid (remote/in-person) program, and placements are team-specific, with most teams requiring some in-person engagement while others may be able to facilitate full remote participation.
The 2026 summer application cycle is open! Please see our Opportunity Flyer with our team descriptions and apply here if interested.
LAFLA’s program is fulltime and runs for 10 weeks, Monday – Friday from 9AM – 5PM PST, 7 hours a day minimum. It will begin May 26 through July 31. Students may share requests for adjustments to these regular hours with their team at interviews.
LAFLA offers its fulltime summer law clerks reimbursement for educational costs. Amounts for Summer 2026 will be announced later this year. Last summer, Summer Law Clerks received up to $8,000 toward tuition. Tuition reimbursements are tax exempt and will be made in two payments: the first at the end of June and the second in the following January. LEIF fellows are eligible for tuition reimbursement in the amount of $10,000; The $8,000 or $10,000 educational reimbursements are generally made without considering whether students receive additional summer funding from other private sources. However, please note that LAFLA sponsored scholarships, fellowships, and other grants will be applied towards the $8,000 or $10,000 maximum reimbursement. Please contact LAFLA once you anticipate or receive any outside funding ASAP, or if you have any questions regarding funding. All fulltime summer law clerk program participants also receive a technology stipend of $70 per month.
Please note: Fulltime summer law clerks will be required to show proof of payment on tuition within the last 12 months in order to receive the educational reimbursement.
Law clerks volunteering outside of the fulltime summer program are not eligible for the educational reimbursement program.
The deadline to apply for the 2026 Summer Law Clerk Program is Friday, April 3rd at 5PM PT.
For law clerks planning to volunteer outside of summer, there is no deadline. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Learn more about former summer law clerks:
2025 – Meet Our 2025 Summer Law Clerks
2024 – Meet Our 2024 Summer Law Clerks
2023 – Meet Our 2023 Summer Law Clerks
2022 – Meet Our 2022 Summer Law Clerks
2021 – Meet Our 2021 Summer Law Clerks
2020 – Meet Our 2020 Summer Law Clerks
2019 – Meet Our 2019 Summer Law Clerks
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LAFLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
LAFLA is committed to equal opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to volunteers pursuant to applicable law. We encourage applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Selection will be based solely on merit and will be without discrimination. If you require reasonable accommodation as part of the application process or expect to require an accommodation if offered placement, please contact humanresources@lafla.org.
LEIF Program
LAFLA awards fellowships to a select number of eligible summer law clerks through the LEIF Program, launched in 2021. The LEIF Program is designed to engage and empower law students who are historically underrepresented in the legal profession in their pursuit of public interest legal careers.
Fellowships
LAFLA invites law students and recent law school graduates interested in pursuing a public interest legal career to partner in fellowship applications. LAFLA has hosted fellows from various programs, including Skadden, Equal Justice Works, and school-based fellowships.
Careers
Start your legal career at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, one of the largest public interest law firms, benefiting more than 100,000 people living in poverty each year.
LAFLA is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, client-oriented defense, access to justice, and excellent representation.