Job description
Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.
LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer.
2026 Legal Intern, Manhattan Legal Services
Manhattan Legal Services seeks law students for our summer internship 2026. There is availability for full-time and part-time positions. All internships shall be a hybrid schedule of virtual and in-person work.
Manhattan Legal Services is a part of Legal Services-NYC, the largest civil legal services provider in the nation. Our mission is to fight poverty and seek racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. We help New Yorkers obtain the basic necessities of life, including housing, economic security, family and immigration stability, education, health care, and challenge the systemic injustices that trap people in poverty. We pride ourselves on our deep community roots, our holistic, trauma-informed approach to advocacy, and our ability to work creatively, strategically, and collaboratively with our clients.
Each summer we recruit law students from around the country to expand the services available in Manhattan and to help train the next generation of public interest lawyers. Interns will learn new areas of the law, gain hands-on experience, and provide an important public service.
Manhattan Legal Services handles cases in the full range of civil legal matters that affect the lives of low-income people in New York City. Interns should indicate in their application materials their preference for placement in the following units: Housing Rights, Disability Advocacy, Family Law, Government Benefits, Immigration, LGBTQ/HIV Advocacy. MLS shall try to place applicants in their unit of preference, but placement is not guaranteed. For a description of each unit’s work, please visit: https://www.legalservicesnyc.org/what-wedo/practice-areas-and-projects
The law student’s responsibilities may include:
• Client intake, interviewing and outreach
• Legal research and writing
• Observation of court proceedings and/or administrative hearings; and
• Advocacy and representation with administrative agencies
Interns will receive close supervision and will also have opportunities to attend court proceedings and interact with clients. This is a volunteer, unpaid position. Summer interns are encouraged to seek out and apply for grants from their school and/or funding from other sources. Due to the nature of hybrid work, interns should have a computer they can use for the duration of the internship. Manhattan Legal Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, people over 40, and people of different ethnicities and national origin are welcome and are encouraged to apply.
Interviews and decisions will be made through the end of March 2026.
If you are interested in working with us, please submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample.
All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.
