Internships
Community Legal Aid and Affiliate accepts law student and undergraduate interns during the academic year (fall and spring semester), but primarily accepts interns for our summer internship program. Academic year interns are expected to work a minimum of 10 hours per week, to be arranged according to their class schedule. Community Legal Aid and Affiliate also encourages students participating in a co-op program to consider working with us for a semester or school year. Summer interns work full-time (35 hours a week) for 10 weeks and also participate in weekly learning sessions that introduce the different types of legal aid work at the organization.
Law School Student Internships
Law student interns apply to work in one of Community Legal Aid and Affiliate’s substantive practice areas and will assist our attorneys in representing clients. Specific responsibilities vary by unit but may include:
- Conducting client interviews and advising clients with appropriate supervision
- Researching and drafting briefs and other legal documents
- Assisting in preparing pleadings
- Assisting in trial and/or hearing preparation
- Attending community meetings, outreach events, and/or court and agency hearings with staff advocates
We encourage students selected for internships with CLA to secure funding through law school public interest scholarships, work-study options, the Massachusetts Bar Foundation internship stipends, or other funding sources. We pay our summer interns if they cannot receive summer stipends/funding from their law schools. To apply for an internship, please go to our internship portal.
Undergraduate Student Internships
Community Legal Aid and Affiliate accepts undergraduate students year-around based on units’ needs.
Current Opening
Organization Type: Non-Profit
Duration: 10 weeks
Hours: 20 hours per week
Reports to: Director of Development
Position Overview: Community Legal Aid, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of low-income and elderly residents of Western and Central Mass. by providing free civil (non-criminal) legal assistance that protects fundamental rights, secures access to basic needs, and challenges policies and practices that harm our clients.
We are seeking a detail-oriented undergraduate student seeking meaningful experience in fundraising, communications, marketing, grant research, and data analysis is support the development and communications team.
Primary Project:
The intern will:
•Create content for social media channels, website, etc. including video
•Assist in social media strategy and management
•Compile and analyze social media data and reports
•Research potential grant opportunities that may be a fit for CLA
•Conduct individual donor research and data analysis
•Attend weekly development team meetings
•Identify trends and areas for improvement
Key Responsibilities:
•Research funding sources, grants, individual donors, and market trends
•Create and edit video and other content for social media
•Use CLA’s existing CRM database (Salesforce) to track work and help develop new Salesforce reports that will inform fundraising and communications strategy
Final Deliverables:
•A collection of video and other content for future use on social media and other channels as part of the organization’s 75th anniversary celebrations
•Report on recommendations to promote growth and participation on CLA’s social media platforms
•List of vetted grant prospects
•Useful new information about individual donor prospects
Ideal Candidate:
•Rising junior or senior
•Interest in nonprofit impact and social justice issues
•Strong research, organizational, and communication skills
•Self-motivated and detail-oriented
