Law Student Internship Opportunities in Public Interest Law

A law student internship with a public interest organization is a great way to obtain practical skills and training, explore an area of law about which you are passionate, and provide needed legal services to clients in need. Internships may be funded by your school, the organization itself or a third-party organization like PILI. In addition to applying for PILI’s Law Student Internship Program, we encourage you to explore other funding opportunities as well.

See a list of paid public interest law internship opportunities »

Find out more about other Illinois public interest law job & post graduate fellowship postings »

PILI events for law students:

• Explore the Possibilities: Public Interest Law Program for Law Students – St. Louis

  September 22nd, 2023 - 12:30 pm, at Virtual Event
  This program is for law students who are interested in learning more about placements as volunteers, interns, externs, fellows or staff in the public interest law sector.

• Explore the Possibilities: Public Interest Law Program for Law Students – Chicago

  September 30th, 2023 - 10:00 am, at Chicago-Kent College of Law
  This program is for law students who are interested in learning more about placements as volunteers, interns, externs, fellows or staff in the public interest law sector.

Helpful Articles & Resources

Opportunities for Law Students Pursuing Public Interest Careers
Details the various ways law students can gain public interest law experience though externships, internships (paid and unpaid), clinics, pro bono service and other volunteer opportunities.

Illinois Pro Bono Research Alliance
The Illinois Pro Bono Research Alliance provides an opportunity for law students and attorneys to collaborate while providing legal assistance to someone in need. This project matches law students with pro bono attorneys who need assistance on a research assignment, from those taking only a few hours, to larger projects. L

Interview Tips
Interview tips and best practices gathered by PSJD from nonprofit and government legal employers.

Illinois 711 License: Providing Legal Services While in Law School
This article will provide a short explanation of the requirements for a 711 license and information on how to obtain the license.

Yale Law School Guide to Post-Graduate Public Interest Fellowships
This annually-updated guide from Yale Law School reviews the basics about public interest fellowships and provides useful tips and best practices for fellowship application and proposal processes.

Directory of Law School Public Interest and Pro Bono Programs
This Directory of Law School Public Interest and Pro Bono Programs created by the American Bar Association provides current information on law school public interest and pro bono programs and curricula. The information is based on survey responses received from law schools, content previously provided, and public information. This Directory is not an endorsement of the schools listed, but rather a compilation of the public interest/pro bono programs offered by the schools.

Resources for Students Pursuing Careers in Private Practice
Provides advice and suggestions on ways to continue your public interest law commitment after graduating law school.

Law Student Pro Bono
Outlines the types of pro bono law students can engage in while in law school and the benefits of doing so.

The Path to Pro Bono: Interviewing Tool for Law Students

This guide is designed by the American Bar Association to assist law students in evaluating a firm’s pro bono culture, to encourage the search for firms actively engaged in pro bono work and to help law students ask the questions that will lead law firms to maintain or increase their pro bono programs.