Law Students
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) seeks motivated students who share LAFLA’s mission of serving communities in need and those who are flexible and open to learning about projects that support the clients we serve. Law students play a vital role in LAFLA’s mission to serve the legal needs of low-income clients. All LAFLA projects are structured to provide practical, hands-on legal experience that complements law school coursework.
Types of Legal Internships
LAFLA offers law students opportunities to participate at LAFLA through a variety of ways and in a variety of projects. We encourage you to visit our homepage and see the ‘Get Legal Help’ section to see our areas of law, and our Mission Statement to get familiar with our foundation. 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
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.
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.
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 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 of $5,250 and a stipend of $550, totaling $5,800. Students who accept an offer to LAFLA’s summer program are eligible to apply to participate in our 2024 Leadership, Equity & Inclusion Fellowship (LEIF) Program, which provides a $10,000 educational reimbursement. Information about summer support can be found below.
Our Summer 2024 Law Clerk Program will begin on Monday, May 20 and run through Friday, July 26. At this time, we intend to 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. Students interested can apply here.
LAFLA’s program is fulltime and runs for 10 weeks, Monday – Friday from 9AM – 5PM PST. It will begin May 20 and run through July 26. 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. Summer 2024 Law Clerks are eligible to receive up to $5,250 toward tuition and/or student loans along with a $550 stipend. Tuition reimbursements are tax exempt and will be made in two payments: half at the end of June and the second half at the end of July. The Leadership, Equity & Inclusion Fellowship (LEIF) fellows are eligible for loan/tuition reimbursement in the amount of $10,000 (LEIF fellows are not eligible for the $550 stipend); read more here. The $5,800 or $10,000 educational reimbursements will be made without considering whether students receive additional summer funding from other sources. 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 or student loans 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 summer 2024 program is Friday, April 12, 2024.
For all other 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:
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 value and encourage diversity and solicit 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.
LAFLA Equity and Inclusion Fellowship (LEIF) Program
LAFLA awards fellowships to a select number of eligible summer law clerks through the LEIF Program, launched in 2021. LAFLA recognizes the existence of racial inequity in the educational system and the lack of diversity in the legal community. LAFLA also acknowledges the importance of a legal community that represents our client community. 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, providing services to more than 100,000 people living in poverty each year.
The leadership of LAFLA is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice, and excellent representation.
