A summer internship with a public interest organization is an excellent way to obtain practical skills and training, and to explore an area of law about which you are passionate. Summer public interest interns often develop skills in such areas as: client intake and counseling; legal and trial strategy; oral advocacy and negotiation; legal research and writing; and community organizing/outreach. Further, many public interest organizations prefer to hire attorneys who were former interns at their organization or another organization doing similar work, so summer internships can be invaluable networking opportunities. While the majority of public interest organizations have insufficient funds to pay their summer interns, numerous resources exist to aid students in finding supplemental funding.

Please note, this page will be updated as information becomes available. Please check back for information regarding later deadlines. Previous deadlines will be shown until updates are available to give students information about timing; however, deadlines may change year-to-year and past deadlines are not guarantees of future timing.

  

General Resources

PSJD

PSJD is a unique online clearinghouse for law students and lawyers to connect with public interest job listings and career-building resources. As a collaborative project among over 200 American and Canadian law schools, PSJD is a free resource for law students and alumni of our subscriber schools to search among thousands of public interest job opportunities and employer profiles. Employer organizations may also post job opportunities for free. In addition to its database, PSJD offers an online library of educational and career-building resources for those interested in pursuing a career in public service. These resources are publicly available to all website visitors. 

In addition to their searchable database of thousands of organizations and opportunities, helpful "how-to" documents, public interest career fair dates, and other useful web links of interest, the website has Summer Funding Primer and a list of Summer Funding Sources and Paid Internship Program. Go to PSJD's Resource Center for information on summer funding, public interest practice guides, and other resources.

  

Specific Funding Sources

In addition to funding sources available through PSJD, University of Wisconsin Law students have often received summer funding through the programs listed below. While this list is not exhaustive, it contains some of the more common funding sources.

University of Wisconsin Law School Summer Public Service Fellowships (SPSF)

The SPSF program provides stipends to University of Wisconsin Law students who take full-time, unpaid or extremely low paid summer public service jobs. Grants for the summer of 2026 will depend on the number of applicants and the amount of available funds. Please carefully review the SPSF Fact Sheet 2026 (forthcoming) and refer to it throughought the application process. The SPSF Application Form will open on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 1pm.  The deadline to apply for SPSF is Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 11:59PM.

Additional fellowships offered through the Law School may include:

ABA Diversity Clerkship Program 

The American Bar Association Business Law Section sponsors the Diversity Clerkship Program. This summer program provides business law clerkship placements for four qualified first- or second-year law students.  Participating clerks receive support and mentoring in the business law field and exposure to business practices. The Business Law Section Diversity Clerkship Program focus is on judicial clerkships. Clerkships in business law courts provide another unique and highly important benefit to law students: the ability to see a microcosm of business practice and allow the student to become familiar with business issues. Such a background proves invaluable to a career in business law, whether litigation or transactional work. Selected participants receive a $3,000 stipend to cover living expenses. Visit the Diversity Clerkship Program website for more information. Deadline: December 10, 2025. 

ABA John J. Curtin, Jr. Justice Fund Summer Legal Internship Program

The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is seeking motivated law student interns to apply for stipends available for the summer. The Program will pay a $3,500 stipend to three law school students who spend the summer months working for a bar association or legal services program designed to prevent homelessness or assist homeless or indigent clients or their advocates. The ideal intern will have a demonstrated interest in public interest law and experience working with poor people or on issues affecting them. All law students are eligible, and first year law students are encouraged to apply.  For further information see the Curtin Justice Fund website. Deadline: March 27, 2026.

ABA Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project

The Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project provides law students the extraordinary opportunity to work in the in the consumer protection and antitrust departments of state and territorial Offices of Attorneys General throughout the United States, as well as the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, and the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Protection. The ten-week paid Fellowships were initiated in 2004 by the ABA Section of Antitrust Law, in cooperation with the National Association of Attorneys General ("NAAG"), as a consumer protection outreach initiative to introduce law students to the rewards of legal careers in public service. For further information see the Steiger Fellowship website. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

ABA Tax Section Summer Fellowship

The TA Summer Fellowship is designed to further expand these efforts by supporting law students pursuing tax-related public interest work. The fellowship will provide financial assistance to J.D. and LL.M students undertaking full-time public service tax law projects during the summer after their 1L or 2L years or before, during, or after their LLM studies in taxation. By offering this support, the program seeks to grow the pipeline of public interest tax practitioners, expand support for low-income taxpayers, and increase the capacity and sustainability of Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) and similar organizations.For further information and to apply, visit the Tax Analysts Summer Fellowship website. Deadline: November 7, 2025.

Arthur C. Helton Fellowship Program

Funded in part by contributions from ASIL members and private foundations, Helton Fellowships provide financial assistance in the form of “micro-grants” of $2,000 for law students and young professionals to pursue field work and research on significant issues involving international law, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and related areas. For more information, please see the Helton Fellowship Program website. Deadline: January 16, 2026.

Disaster Resilience Program

The Disaster Resilience Program (DRP) mobilizes law Student Fellows to provide free civil legal aid in disaster-prone areas to ensure vital legal services are accessible, comprehensive, and responsive to the unique needs of individuals, families, and communities so lives can be stabilized and communities rebuilt to be more resilient.Student Fellows receive a $7,000 stipend upon completion of 300 hours of service (eight to ten-week term). Duties include: engage in outreach and education, help provide direct legal services to disaster survivors, and foster important relationships within the community. For more information, please see the website. Deadline: February 20, 2026.

Equal Justice America Legal Services Fellowship

These fellowships are for first and second year law students who will be working for organizations providing direct civil legal services for the poor. This means that positions that are strictly policy focused are not eligible. The fellowships are for up to $4,000 and the position may take place anywhere in the United States provided that the hiring organization is a non-profit organization providing direct civil legal services to the poor. To apply, students must send a cover letter describing their commitment and interest in providing legal services to the poor, a resume, two letters of recommendation, and an employment confirmation letter from the hiring organization. For additional information about the Legal Service Fellowships, please see Equal Justice America's website.  Deadline: March 23, 2026.

Legal Aid Association of California - Dan Bradley Fellowship

Each year, LAAC offers the Dan Bradley Fellowship to fund law students who want to spend their summer working at a LAAC member legal aid organization. The Fellowship is awarded to outstanding students who want to pursue a career in public interest law and who want to spend their summer working on rural issues or consumer rights. Law students who will spend the summer interning at a 2026 LAAC member organization; AND who plan to work at: a rural organization/ an urban organization working on rural issues OR consumer rights. Applicants must also have a strong interest in a career in public interest law, working to defend and expand the legal rights of people who live in poverty. Click here to view the application. Deadline: March 31, 2026. 

LGBT Bar of NY's Hank Henry Judicial Fellowship Program

LGBT Bar NY’s 2026 Hank Henry Fellowship program will consist of a 10 to 12-week summer internship that offers law studentsthe opportunity to rotate among multiple LGBTQ+ and ally judges at various levels of the judiciary. This experience provides an insider’s understanding of the judicial system, along with the opportunity to work alongside openly LGBTQIA judges and allies. In addition to observing court proceedings, students can expect to complete 1-2 written assignments consisting of draft decisions and/or memoranda. A $4,500 stipend accompanies the position. Students with funding from other sources are encouraged to apply, although the stipend may be limited to assisting students without funding. The fellowship is intended for law students with a demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, advancing LGBTQ+ rights. To apply, click here. Deadline: February 27, 2026.

Massachusetts Bar Foundation Legal Intern Fellowship Program

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a United States law school (Preference will be given to permanent/future residents of Massachusetts); and have secured a volunteer internship with one qualified nonprofit organization in Massachusetts where the primary focus of the internship is to provide civil legal services to low-income clients.  Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to public interest law, including experience working with low-income clients and/or issues that affect this population. The Fellowship award stipend is $8,000. For more information and application requirements, visit MBF's website. Deadline: March 13, 2026.

National Lawyers Guild Haywood Burns Fellowship

Fellowships  may  be  completed  with  any  existing  organization  whose  mission  addresses  the needs of underserved individuals and groups. We encourage applicants to identify grassroots and non-traditional work opportunities for which there is a serious current societal need. This could be a small non-profit, a short-staffed community law firm, or an organizing campaign that needs legal assistance. The Haywood Burns Fellowships usually provide a rigorous legal experience as well as a political one. For more information and for application materials, see the National Lawyers Guild website. Previous Deadline: January 4, 2025.

Peggy Browning Fund Summer Internship

The Peggy Browning Fund funds summer internships in labor-related organizations throughout the United States. Each fellowship will have a minimum $6,000 stipend for 10 weeks. Participating labor organizations and application materials are available at the Peggy Browning Fund website. A cover letter, resume and completed application form must be sent to each eligible work site to which you wish to apply. A copy of each completed application must also be sent to the Peggy Browning Fund. Both the Fund and the specific sites to which you are applying must have received your applications by the deadline. You can apply for up to seven positions. Deadlines are rolling, so apply ASAP. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of obtaining an Internship. 

Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Summer Internships

For students interested in working in Chicago, this is a great opportunity to work in public interest law. PILI sponsors a Summer Internship Program for first and second year law students from across the country (note: most PILI interns have completed their second year of law school). Each summer, PILI funds dozens of internships at public interest law agencies in the Chicago metropolitan area. Agencies hosting Summer Interns receive grants to pay an intern for 10 full-time weeks of work. PILI ensures quality supervision by experienced lawyers at the agencies, provides a ten-week educational luncheon seminar series, and hosts social and networking events throughout the summer. The areas of law available include civil rights, immigration, poverty law, health law, and environmental law. Law students apply to the agencies directly through the PILI application. Deadlines are rolling beginning on November 1, so apply ASAP. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of obtaining an Internship. For an application and the list of placement agencies, see the PILI website.

Robert Masur Fellowship in Civil Liberties

The fellowship is open to first-year law students who intend to carry out significant activities during the summer (in between their first and second year) in the areas of civil rights and/or civil liberties. Fellows each receive a $3,000 honorarium. For more information see their website. Deadline: April 8, 2026.

Rural Summer Legal Corps

Selected candidates will work with a legal aid provider (host organization) in a rural location for 8-10 weeks over the summer providing legal services to underserved and lower income individuals. Participants will develop valuable skills and gain hands-on training through direct involvement with results-driven community projects. Students will receive a $7,000 stipend for their service. For more information see their website. Deadline: February 16, 2026.

SABA Chicago Foundation Law Student Public Interest Fellowship

The Public Interest Fellowship is a joint program of the South Asian Bar Association of North America Foundation and participating SABA Chapters. SABA North America Foundation plans to fund three to six grants, each ranging from $5,000 - $10,000 for law students or recent law graduates, who will be working in public-interest jobs during summer 2025. To view last year's appication, click here. Previous Deadline: May 23, 2025.

SABA New York Public Interest Fellowship

Each year, the South Asian Bar Association of New York Fund (SABANY Fund) awards Public Interest Fellowships in amounts of up to $6,000 to outstanding law students with a demonstrated commitment to public service, to facilitate opportunities working at a public service organization or agency. Applicants must spend at least ten (10) weeks during the summer of 2026 in an unpaid, public
interest legal internship or volunteer legal position, in New York State or South Asia OR spend at least ten (10) weeks during the summer of 2026 in an unpaid, law-related public interest internship in New York State, which specifically focuses on the needs of the local South Asian community. See the 2026 Application for more details. Deadline: March 4, 2026 at 11PM. 

SABA Washington, D.C. Foundation Law Student Public Interest Fellowship

The South-Asian Bar Association of Washington, D.C. Foundation provides up to $8,000 grant law students who work in an unpaid or low-paid summer position benefiting public interest. Work that benefits the South-Asian community in Washington, D.C. is required. For more information, see their website. Previous Deadline: April 11, 2025.

Texas Access to Justice Commission Internship Program

Prospective interns must secure placement with the desired legal services organization in order to be considered for an ATJ internship stipend. Summer interns receive a stipend of $7,000 for 400 hours of work. Course/academic credit is not permitted in conjunction with participation in the ATJIP. Internships with civil legal aid providers in Texas who work on behalf of low-income Texans qualify. The internships are open to law school students from any law school throughout the country, but preference is given to applicants from Texas law schools. For additional information, see the Texas ATJ Website.  Deadline: March 6, 2026.

The Williams Institute Summer Fellowship Program

The Williams Institute provides a summer stipend up to $5000 for a current law student or recent law school graduate to work on research projects and assist with on-going lesbian and gay civil rights cases. For additional information, see the Williams Institute website. Deadline: February 1, 2026.

Virginia State Bar Local Government Law Fellowship

The Board of Governors of the VSB Local Government Section will award a $4,000 fellowship to an outstanding first or second-year law student who has committed to working full-time for a minimum of 10 weeks at a Virginia local government attorney’s office during the summer, or divide the fellowship between two students working full-time for a minimum of 5 weeks each. Preference will be given to interns working for smaller localities or those with a high fiscal stress index. The Fellow will also have the opportunity to submit an article on a local government topic or an interview for potential publication in the VSB’s quarterly Journal of Local Government Law. Click here to apply. Deadline: April 1 at 5pm. 

For More Information: Please contact Lindsay Slaker at lslaker@wisc.edu.

Lock Icon