2027 Direct Appeals Summer Internships

2027 Direct Appeals Summer Internships

CENTER FOR APPELLATE LITIGATION

APPELLATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE – SUMMER 2027 INTERNSHIP

Job Description:

The Center for Appellate Litigation (“CAL”), a non-profit public defender office handling appeals and other post-conviction matters, is seeking full-time volunteer interns for the summer of 2027. The internship has two main components:

1. working closely with experienced appellate attorneys on substantive writing projects, including briefs and motions; and
2. preparing clients for parole appearances and submitting materials on their behalf to the Parole Board.

Interns will additionally work directly with our clients and their family members and significant responsibilities in all aspects of case investigation and drafting legal documents, including possible opportunities to assist with our other special projects. This is an unpaid internship.Interns will work a hybrid schedule, splitting time between our office and remote work.

We believe that a diverse workforce is essential to helping our clients through differing perspectives. Accordingly, CAL welcomes applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of LGBTQ+ identities. CAL is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for this position without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or citizenship status.

Qualifications:

• Commitment to advocating for people convicted of crimes
• Ability to both connect with and empathize with members of marginalized communities
• Strong research and writing skills
• Ability to think critically and creatively about legal issues
• Excellent communication and active listening skills, particularly with people of varied backgrounds and experiences
• Ability to work independently and multi-task on various assignments
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality around sensitive issues

Application Instructions:

Applications should be submitted by Friday, October 16, 2026 for 2Ls and Friday, December 18, 2026, for 1Ls using the Google form linked below:

Google Form Application

Applicants without a Gmail account may email their materials to internship@cfal.org with the subject line "Summer 2027 Internship Application"

(Please do not submit via both the form and the email address)

Application Materials:

Name

Pronouns

Email Address

Phone Number

Have you ever applied to CAL for a position before? (Y/N)

Cover Letter

Resume

We will conduct interviews and make offers on a rolling basis, so we encourage applicants to apply early.

We will accept applications from 2Ls through Friday, October 16, 2026. We will accept applications from 1Ls between Monday, November 2, 2026, and Friday, December 18, 2026.

*Note* We will not be accepting any 1L applications until Monday, November 2, 2026.

https://forms.gle/irnCVKswAC8Ktqcp8