Intern, Housing Law Unit (Spring 2027)

National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 9,600 - 11,000; Full time

Job summary

Legal Aid DC invites applications for a spring internship in the Housing Law Unit. The 12-week program runs Jan 8, 2027 through Apr 2, 2027, with internships offered at NW DC, Southeast DC, and a court-based office in the DC Superior Court. Interns may receive course credit and can work remotely with supervisor approval.

Interns will support two projects: Eviction Defense and Affordable Housing Preservation, and report to a staff attorney in the Housing unit. Expected 15 hours/week.

Qualifications

• Legal research and factual analysis.
• Draft pleadings, motions, and other legal writing.

Responsibilities

• Perform legal and factual research
• Draft pleadings, motions, reasonable accommodation requests, client correspondence, and other forms of legal writing
• Observe/shadow/take notes for court or administrative hearings
• Conduct or assist intakes and follow up interviews with applicants
• Assist with preparing for and conducting client meetings
• Assist with hearing preparation, including drafting hearing outlines and preparing witnesses and exhibits
• Assist with discovery process, including drafting requests and responses, gathering information from clients, and drafting correspondence or motions to compel discovery
• Assist with L&T courthouse project
• Attend housing unit meetings, skills workshops, Legal Aid staff meetings

Job description

Position Description

Legal Aid DC, a nonprofit organization with an approximately $18 million annual budget and a staff of approximately 130 employees, is seeking a spring intern to join our Housing Law Unit.

Position Description

Legal Aid DC, a nonprofit organization with an approximately $18 million annual budget and a staff of approximately 130 employees, is seeking a spring intern to join our Housing Law Unit. Since 1932, Legal Aid has provided civil legal assistance to clients in individual cases and engaged in systemic reform. Currently, we provide individual representation in consumer law, domestic violence/family law, housing, public benefits, and immigration matters. We also help people with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic impact and appellate litigation. Legal Aid also administers the DC Resource Bridge, a single access point for legal services in the District. Legal Aid believes that meaningful pursuit of our anti-poverty mission requires an unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity. We aspire both to reflect the rich racial diversity of the communities we serve and to value, respect, and empower our staff and clients to be effective agents of change. For more information about Legal Aid please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org. Our work is supported through public and private grants and private fundraising from individuals, law firms, and other contributors. This internship is for Spring 2027 and will be 12 weeks in duration. Interns at Legal Aid DC have the unique opportunity to receive substantive assignments that will have an immediate impact on our clients. Legal Aid will help Spring semester interns receive course credit for their internships. Interns work out of Legal Aid’s offices in NW DC, with the option to perform some work remotely if approved by their supervisor. Spring interns should expect to work at least 15 hours per week. The spring term is January 8, 2027-April 2, 2027. The staff in our Housing Unit work at Legal Aid’s central office, our community office in Southeast DC, and our court-based office in the Landlord and Tenant Branch of the DC Superior Court. Staff work primarily on two projects: an Eviction Defense Project, which provides advice, brief services, and limited and extended representation to low-income tenants facing eviction or at risk of eviction; and an Affordable Housing Preservation Project, which seeks to preserve and expand safe and affordable housing for low-income District residents through building-wide legal representation. The intern will report to a staff attorney in the Housing unit.

Responsibilities

• Perform legal and factual research
• Draft pleadings, motions, reasonable accommodation requests, client correspondence, and other forms of legal writing
• Observe/shadow/take notes for court or administrative hearings
• Conduct or assist intakes and follow up interviews with applicants
• Assist with preparing for and conducting client meetingsAssist with hearing preparation, including drafting hearing outlines and preparing witnesses and exhibits
• Assist with discovery process, including drafting requests and responses, gathering information from clients, and drafting correspondence or motions to compel discovery
• Assist with L&T courthouse project
• Attend housing unit meetings, skills workshops, Legal Aid staff meetings

Scholarship Funding

Interns will receive a scholarship of up to $2,650 for the 12 week internship. Interns will not receive scholarship funding if they receive outside funding for their internship or they are interning through a school program that precludes them from being paid.