
Legal Field
Are you considering a job or internship in the legal field? Explore these online resources to get started.
Interested in law school? Check out our Pre-Law Advising resources, which includes a page of law related internship resources. Schedule an appointment to meet with a Career Advisor.
The Office of Career and Professional Development at Washington and Lee University has not vetted any of the internship and volunteer opportunity listings on this page and makes no representations or guarantees regarding any of the listed opportunities. It is the responsibility of students and alumni to do their own due diligence when applying for and accepting any of these opportunities.
Quicklinks: Job and Internship Resources | Summer Internships & Programs | Gap Year Opportunities | Finding Jobs in the Private Sector | Student Organizations and Departmental Resources | Other Resources | Alumni to Know
Job and Internship Resources
- Alliance for Justice
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Bronx Defenders - Internships, diversity program and full-time opportunities
- California Senate Fellows Program
- Common Cause
- Georgetown Law, Investigative Internship Program
- Idealist.org - clearing house for public interest organizations
- National Association for Law Placement - Law firm positions (paralegal, recruiting, human resources, etc.)
- National Conference of State Legislatures - State Legislative Internship Programs
- National Legal Aid and Defender Association
- DC Public Defender Services
- Southern Center for Human Rights
- The Washington Center - Internship program
- USAJobs - search "paralegal"
Summer Internships and Programs
This is not an exhaustive list. Visit our Pre-Law Advising page for additional information and resources.
- Stanford Law Scholars Institute
- Children's Defense Fund
- Goldman Sachs Summer - Legal division opportunities - not always available
- Office of Inspector General - Information and application for law internship (rolling application)
- U.S. Department of Justice - Internship openings; have to be US citizen
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children - Three internship terms throughout year; focus on social justice
- Institute for Humane Studies - "Intern for freedom (not for free)"; located in Virginia
- U.S. Supreme Court - US citizen required; openings in various offices
- Discover Law Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars Program - Summer law programs at various campuses
- Sponsors for Educational Opportunity - Variety of internship opportunities (including law); geared towards Black, Hispanic, or Native American students
- Foreign Affairs Information Technology 2-year Fellowship - US citizenship required
- University of Houston Prelaw Pipeline Program - Law school preparation for students who are first-generation, low income, or from underrepresented groups
- LAWbound - Summer preparatory law program; must be of Hispanic heritage
Gap Year Opportunities
- Paralegal411 - Job board for paralegal positions
- Become a Paralegal - Career advice and resources
- National Federation of Paralegal Associations - Job board and help on how to prepare for a legal career
- Career Builder - Search for paralegal job opportunities
- Law Crossing - Database of legal jobs, salary info and more
- Robert Half Legal - Career resource center and job search
- Legal Aid Justice Center
- Brookings Institution - Job openings for conducting research
- U.S. Department of State - List of think tanks and job opportunities
- American Gap Association - Gap year program list and planning resources
- AmeriCorps - Offers a variety of opportunities
- United Way - Volunteer programs (including legal areas) across the country
Finding Attorney Jobs in the Private Sector
Lawyers work in a variety of environments in the private sector including corporations (which often require more legal experience), large law firms, and small firms with narrow specialties. Below are tips on starting your law career path post law school. Schedule an appointment with a career advisor in Handshake if you have questions.
Large Firms
- offer a variety of services which means you will practice law involving different issues (corporate law, taxes, real estate)
- research large firms' summer associate program to be prepared and apply early
- participate in on-campus interviews and remember to know who you are interviewing with if you have multiple interviews in a week
- network with alumni and others in the legal profession to learn more about the industry and get interviewing tips
Small Firms
- can either practice in several areas or have a focus in a certain specialized area
- less structured hiring cycle, so it is important to research multiple firms to know when they have an opening
- very important to network; job offers often depend on recommendations from others
- look into gaining some attorney experience since smaller firms may not have as much training opportunities
- seek informational interviews to learn more about the industry or specific firm
Student Organizations & Departmental Resources
- Executive Committee of the Student Body
- Student Judicial Council
- Hearing Advisor Program - Hearing Advisors support, advise, and assist students accused of an honor or conduct violation in preparing and presenting their cases to the Executive Committee, the Student Judicial Council, and the Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Board.
- Law, Justice & Society Minor
- Mock Trial - Washington and Lee Mock Trial provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to develop critical thinking and public speaking skills and an understanding of the American justice system and its practices and procedures through preparing for and engaging in trial simulations in competition with teams from other colleges and universities. The organization will participate in competitions under the aegis of the American Mock Trial Association, and in other mock trial competitions as the organization's governing body deems to be in the best interest of the organization.