CLS offers a rich and exciting summer internship experience for 15-20 law students who have completed their first or second year of law school. Our law students receive exceptional training and the opportunity to work with some of the most talented legal minds in civil legal services. All CLS interns will have the opportunity to work directly with clients, engage with the communities we serve, and contribute to systemic advocacy efforts to advance economic and racial equity.
Interns are placed into one of our legal units: Health and Independence, SSI, Housing, Home Ownership and Consumer Rights, Family Advocacy, Energy and Utilities, Employment, Youth Justice Project, Medical Legal Partnership.
CLS welcomes applicants of all backgrounds to apply and strongly encourages law students from diverse backgrounds to apply for our internship. CLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences would motivate you to work toward CLS’s mission and would contribute to the vitality and perspective of our organization.
To apply, please submit the following materials through our website. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. ( )
Resume
Cover letter addressing interest and experience in public interest and poverty law/racial justice advocacy
Law school transcript
List of three (3) references (at least one academic reference and at least one professional reference)
Please either submit an application on our website OR via a hiring fair (like PIPS, GPALS, etc.). Please do not submit your application on our website if you are already scheduled to interview via a hiring fair or waiting for a hiring fair selection. If you do not get an interview slot with us at a hiring fair, you can then submit an application through our website.
Undergraduate students, law students interested in fall/spring internships, or any other employment inquiries should be directed to our HR department via Shaneika Patterson at spatterson@clsphila.org and/or Crystal Stackhouse at cstackhouse@clsphila.org .
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dates of the Summer 2026 internship? Are those dates flexible?
The internship is a 10-week program from Monday, June 1, 2026, to Friday, August 7, 2026.
Students are generally allowed reasonable flexibility for family or other obligations, so long as they complete the ten-week program and are compliant with the terms of any work study or other external funding they receive. There is a week of mandatory orientation the week of June 1-5, 2026.
Is the internship funded?
Generally the internship is unpaid. However, 3 fellowship stipends are available and awarded on a rolling basis. Please see below for more information. We are also happy to support any requirements for work study or other external funding sources, like Equal Justice America.
What are the work hours? What are the in-person requirements?
CLS operates Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Staff are expected to work in-person 2 days per week; however, students are encouraged to be in person more frequently as needed and to get the most out of their summer.
Do I get to choose which unit I work with? Can I work across multiple units?
Unit placements are assigned when we have filled our full class of interns – usually in April. When students accept their internship, they rank their top 3 units. With rare exceptions, we are able to place students in one of their top 3 choices but cannot guarantee placement in any unit.
Students are encouraged to staff CLS clinics for other units and can shadow another unit if they express an interest, but are generally assigned to one unit for the entirety of their summer work.
What if I want to work in the Housing Unit?
Our housing unit prioritizes 2L students, especially from Philadelphia-area law schools. We encourage housing-focused students to apply for their 2L summer!
What if I am not a law student? What if I am a law student and would like to intern during the fall or spring semester?
Please contact our HR department by emailing Shaneika Patterson at spatterson@clsphila.org and/or Crystal Stackhouse at cstackhouse@clsphila.org .
Additional Fellowship Application
The Amber Racine and Senator Roxanne Jones Fellowships are available on a competitive basis to 3 law students with financial need from underrepresented groups based on race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex (including sex assigned at birth, gender identity or expression and sexual orientation), national origin, or disability. The recipient of each Fellowship receives a financial award of $5,000 and mentorship support to enable future leaders in public interest law to spend their summer interning at CLS.
Eligible law students should apply for the Fellowships when they submit their application for CLS’s summer internship. Fellowship selection will take place on a rolling basis, so students are encouraged to apply early.
To be considered for the Fellowships, please submit an additional one (1) to three (3) page personal statement with the following information :
Background: Tell us about yourself and how your background played a role in informing your decision to attend law school and pursue a career in public interest
Your accomplishments and achievements in work, life, school and your community
Demonstrated commitment to public interest work and serving the needs of underserved communities
Special circumstances establishing your financial need
Your future goals and dedication to a career in public interest legal services
All other funding sources applied for and status of each
Any other information you think the Selection Committee may deem relevant that you would like us to take into consideration
If you have questions about summer law student internships, please reach out to Gillian Schaps and/or Lauren Davis, Co-Chairs of the Law Student Hiring Committee. gschaps@clsphila.org or ldavis@clsphila.org
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