Volunteer
Application Process for Public Counsel Summer Internship
Public Counsel has seven exciting law projects that will accept law student interns in summer 2026 to work on a variety of direct services, policy advocacy, and impact litigation projects. They include:
- A comprehensive child, youth & family program that encompasses advocating for families at risk of separation due to immigration enforcement or family policing systems, assisting transition age youth with various legal needs, and serving families needing legal help with adoptions or guardianships.
- A community development team that supports and protects affordable housing and assists non-profit and small businesses with a variety of transactional needs
- An immigrants’ rights group that assists undocumented victims of crime, domestic violence, persecution, and torture
- A homelessness prevention unit that defends unlawful detainer complaints, advocates for public benefits, and eliminates outstanding tickets and warrants for persons at risk of homelessness
- An education equity team that advances students’ rights in areas such as special education, gender equity, Title IX, school discipline, and protections for students from immigrant backgrounds, as well as pregnant and parenting students.
- A consumer rights & economic justice team that focuses on direct services, litigation, and policy advocacy to empower and protect consumers facing debt collection, foreclosure, and predatory lending, including sub-projects focused on: bankruptcy; self-represented litigant assistance in both federal cases and state appellate cases; and Cancer Justice, a national cancer legal helpline.
- An impact litigation department (Opportunity Under Law) that addresses economic injustices on a national level through strategic lawsuits and other means to accomplish systemic reform
- Click here to learn more about our practice areas and click on the links above to learn about our specific summer 2026 opportunities
Timeline
Public Counsel’s 2026 summer internship program will run for ten weeks, beginning Tuesday, May 26, 2026, and ending Friday, July, 31 2026. Both 1Ls and 2Ls are eligible for these internships. We begin accepting applications on October 1, 2025, and we will review them on a rolling basis. We strongly encourage applicants to submit their materials no later than February 1, 2026.
Equity and Inclusion
Public Counsel seeks summer interns who share our commitment to economic and racial justice. The large majority of Public Counsel’s clients are working-class people of color who have experienced a number of intersectional forms of oppression, often barring them from access to legal representation. We seek to have a group of interns who have a personal and/or professional understanding of these experiences. We are especially interested in receiving applications from historically underrepresented students in terms of race, economic background, and other characteristics consistent with our active, ongoing commitment to increasing equity and inclusion within our organization.
Funding
Public Counsel’s summer internship program is an unpaid volunteer opportunity. Please be sure to consult with your law school’s public interest program to learn more about other available scholarships and financial awards that might support your summer internship
Application Process
Thank you for your interest in a 2026 summer internship with Public Counsel. Please click on the links below to submit your application(s).
Education Equity Project 2026 Summer Internship: Apply Here
Child, Youth & Family Advocacy Project 2026 Summer Internship: Application Closed
Community Development Project 2026 Summer Internship: Application Closed
Consumer Rights & Economic Justice Project 2026 Summer Internship: Application Closed
Homelessness Prevention Law Project 2026 Summer Internship: Apply Here
Immigrants’ Rights Project 2026 Summer Internship: Apply Here
Opportunity Under Law 2026 Summer Internship: Apply Here
