Legal Graduate Assistant - Intern

Ocean State Job Lot (“OSJL” or the “Company”) is a dynamic $850+ million general merchandise retailer with a strong foothold across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. With over 170 stores currently and ambitious plans to reach 180 locations, OSJL offers exciting opportunities for growth and contribution. We are an opportunity-driven retailer owning over 50% of our operating locations, totaling 8 million square feet, demonstrating our stability and long-term vision. At OSJL, you will be part of a team committed to delivering exceptional value to our customers while driving positive change and a more responsible future for retail within our communities.

Job Summary:

The Legal Graduate Assistant role at Ocean State Job Lot (“OSJL” and “Company”) is a paid, full-time, temporary position designed to help students develop a broad knowledge of the Company and build the OSJL brand. Specifically, the Legal Graduate Assistant role will spearhead a mission-critical project focused on CMS Playbooks to maximize the efficiency of the new Contract Management System (CMS). This role aims to create a robust suite of self-service forms and fallback negotiation logic, ensuring that a comprehensive library of standardized templates is ready for deployment.

Key Responsibilities:

Project-Specific Duties (Contract Management & Legal Operations):

• Draft templates and establish legal logic to build a comprehensive library for the new Contract Management System.
• Categorize forms by domain, distinguishing between specific areas such as Real Estate versus Vendor Agreements.
• Contribute to a project that drastically reduces the time required to generate and sign routine contracts, allowing for speedier business operations.
• Ensure all business units are using the most current, legally compliant language to minimize organizational risk.
• Assist in freeing up Senior Attorneys to focus on high-value strategic matters.
• Work in a dual-intern structure that fosters peer review and collaborative problem-solving to ensure high-quality output.

General Internship Duties:

• Prepare and deliver a final presentation to OSJL executive leadership and ownership at the conclusion of the program, summarizing key projects, insights, and achievements.
• Participate in weekly educational programming and development workshops designed to enhance professional skills and industry knowledge.
• Attend in-person and virtual events to build relationships across the Company.
• Shadow associates to gain an understanding of department roles and assist with projects in furtherance of department objectives.
• Acquire an understanding of the business environment, conduct, compliance, and ethics of a retail organization.

Qualifications:

• Enrollment in a graduate program or law school is required, with strong academic credentials.
• This project requires a candidate capable of parallel processing and high-volume legal drafting.
• Experience using Microsoft Suite and the ability to learn and use Google platforms.
• Ability to maintain focus on a high-volume drafting phase to ensure the full library is ready for deployment within the 11-week window.
• Ability to work a full-time schedule. Must have reliable transportation to attend program educational experiences at different Company locations.

Work Environment:

• This role follows a hybrid model with a mandatory minimum of 3 days in the office per week. Hybrid work options are not guaranteed and are subject to change at any time based upon Company policy, associate performance, and business needs.
• Work is primarily performed in a climate-controlled office environment, sitting at a desk or computer workstation for extended periods.
• Within Company locations, the role may be assigned a Company computer. When working remotely, the Graduate Assistant is responsible for setting up a professional workspace and must be available during working hours.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

This job description does not list all the duties of the job. You may be asked by supervisors or managers to perform other job duties and tasks, some of which may be essential to the position. Leadership has the right to revise this job description at any time. The job description is not a contract, either express or implied. You are an at-will employee, meaning either you or the Company may terminate your employment at any time, with or without notice.

All undergraduate interns will be paid $17.00/hr and all graduate assistants will be paid $19.00/hr.