Juvenile Law Center seeks law and graduate school students to work with us during the summer of 2019. Interns assist Juvenile Law Center attorneys in researching children’s rights issues, writing legal and policy memoranda, preparing training materials, supporting ongoing litigation and legislative initiatives, and responding to requests for assistance.
Time Commitment And Stipend
Summer interns generally are expected to work full-time (40 hours/week) for 10 weeks over the summer. Anticipated start date is late May.
Students who are interested in splitting their summers with Juvenile Law Center and another organization—such as a law firm or a direct-services public interest organization—are also encouraged to apply. Juvenile Law Center will maintain flexibility to work with interns to accommodate their personal and professional circumstances during the internship.
Summer interns will receive a summer stipend of up to $5,000. We hope to offer additional funding for moving expenses, pending fundraising. Internships for college credit are not eligible for a stipend.
Stipends are intended to make the internship accessible to all individuals who may be interested in working with us. To expand the pool of stipend funding available, interns are encouraged to seek funding from other sources; Juvenile Law Center can assist with applications for outside funding, including from the federal work study program. Hiring decisions are made independently of your ability to secure outside funding.
Internship Programming
Interns are invited to learn more about Juvenile Law Center and our work during the course of the summer. Interns participate in brown bag lunches with staff at Juvenile Law Center and other Philadelphia public interest law firms. They are also invited to visit and learn about other organizations that serve youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
To Apply
Please submit your resume, a writing sample, two references with email addresses and phone numbers, and a cover letter indicating your interest in the position to internships@jlc.org with the subject line “Summer Law and Policy Internship.”
We want to know why you are applying for an internship with Juvenile Law Center. In your cover letter, please discuss your interest in working with Juvenile Law Center; any personal, professional, or academic experience or interest in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems; and/or how you will support Juvenile Law Center’s commitment to diversity.
As an equal opportunity employer, Juvenile Law Center strives to be an inclusive space that affirms and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, learned and lived expertise, and individual perspectives of our staff. We are committed to building a diverse staff and are dedicated to uplifting the voices of under-represented communities as it pertains to race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, marital or parental status, disability, religion, national origin, and/or child welfare or justice system involvement. We do not discriminate or exclude prospective employees based on criminal backgrounds or ex-offender status.
Applicants striving to advance equity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems, who fit into any under-represented group, are encouraged to apply and self-identify during the application process.
Deadlines
Applications for summer internships will be reviewed on a rolling basis until February 8, 2019. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply early, as hiring decisions may be made before February 8.
1Ls may begin applying on December 1, 2018. All other applicants may begin applying now.
Organization Background
Juvenile Law Center is a national public interest law firm located in Philadelphia that advocates for rights, dignity, equity, and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems. Juvenile Law Center plays a leadership role nationally and in Pennsylvania in shaping and using the law on behalf of children in the child welfare and justice systems to promote fairness, prevent harm, secure access to appropriate services, and ensure a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood. Our strategies include litigation, appellate advocacy and submission of amicus briefs, policy reform, public education, training, and strategic communications. We strive to ensure that laws, policies, and practices affecting youth are rooted in research, consistent with children’s unique developmental characteristics, applied fairly, and reflective of international human rights values.
Scholarship & Career 