Legal Intern (Summer 2025)

Job Title: Summer 2025 Legal Intern

Job Type: Full-Time, Temporary, Non-Exempt

Duration: 10 weeks

Job Location: NYC; Hybrid, in-person 2 days per week.

Compensation: $24 per hour /$960 per week/$9,600 for 10 week internship

Benefits: Paid Holidays, Up to 3 days of Paid Sick/Safe Leave

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Organizational Overview:

Pregnancy Justice defends the civil and human rights of pregnant people, focusing on those most likely to be targeted for investigation, arrest, detention, or family separation: people who are poor or have low income, people of color, and people who use drugs, as examples. The organization and staff are guided by the principles of reproductive justice, which is defined by SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective as: the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.

We believe that the criminal legal system and family policing system, commonly known as the child welfare system, should never be involved in pregnancy and pregnancy-related outcomes; that all people are entitled to dignity, equality, and respect; and that the threat of pregnancy criminalization, like the criminal legal system itself, is deeply rooted in racism and targets communities of color and people who are poor.

While Pregnancy Justice must operate within the criminal legal system and the family policing system, we also recognize that we must work to dismantle all discriminatory systems of oppression. Since its founding over 20 years ago, Pregnancy Justice has worked across disciplines including reproductive rights and justice, public health, drug policy, criminal justice reform, racial justice, and prosecutorial accountability, among others, to achieve its mission. 

For more information about Pregnancy Justice, please visit https://www.pregnancyjusticeus.org/.

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Job Summary:

Pregnancy Justice seeks applicants for the position of legal intern to begin in the Summer of 2025. The legal intern will be involved in the day-to-day work of the Pregnancy Justice legal team. As a small and dynamic non-profit organization, Pregnancy Justice offers Legal Interns the opportunity to undertake significant legal work, coalition building and policy advocacy, media writing and public speaking, and the possibility of attending conferences and making site visits to clients.

 

The legal intern would report to their supervising legal fellow, with additional oversight from staff attorneys.

Minimum Qualifications Include:

• Current law student, with expected J.D. degree by spring 2026 or 2027.;
• Demonstrated passion, interest, and experience related to reproductive justice, criminal defense, civil rights, policy advocacy, social justice, racial justice, gender justice, public health, or related fields or experiences a plus;
• Interest in the Pregnancy Justice mission;
• Self-motivated with ability to take initiative and work independently;
• Commitment to excellence, working collaboratively, and fostering a positive and supportive work environment while working towards a shared mission;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, time management, and interpersonal skills;
• Strong legal research and writing skills;
• Familiarity with (or trainability in) a variety of research, database, and project management applications (e.g., WestLaw and data management systems).

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:

• Supporting ongoing litigation through writing and research, drafting, editing, and cite-checking;
• Supporting client representation;
• Legal research and writing;
• Supporting the drafting of legal materials and public-facing research;
• Tracking and analyzing developments in state and federal legislation;
• Joining strategic meetings with other reproductive justice, social justice, economic justice and drug policy, family defense, and criminal justice reform organizations to jointly develop and undertake community organizing.

Other Critical Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Applies big-picture thinking to achieve long-term outcomes, while also focusing on the details of short- to mid-term implementation.
• Decisiveness: Consistently makes decisions in a timely manner supportive of Pregnancy Justice’s mission, core values, and strategic objectives, demonstrating sound judgment.
• Collaboration: Works effectively with various and diverse individuals and groups, with a willingness to actively listen and invite different views and opinions to build alignment in support of a common goal.
• Commitment to Learning: Applies a growth mentality to their own and their team’s development.  Promotes a culture of learning by modeling inquisitiveness and an openness to viewing mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve.
• Nimbleness: Demonstrates comfort with ambiguity, needing to be flexible and adaptable, consistently reassessing priorities to make sound decisions and take strategic risks in furtherance of our mission and priorities.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements:

The work is primarily performed in an office setting and/or remotely, with offsite meetings and events. Occasional travel may be required. This is largely a sedentary position that requires the employee to sit, stand, walk, and bend, and may occasionally require moving files and other equipment. The Legal Intern  works full-time, typically between the office hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for pregnant people and individuals with disabilities, including in the application process. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please send an email with the subject line “Reasonable Accommodation Request” to HR@PregnancyJusticeUS.org.

Commitment to Inclusive Hiring Practices:

Research indicates that members of marginalized communities tend to underestimate their qualifications, and only apply when they meet all of the criteria in a job posting. If you are excited about this opportunity but are unsure if your past experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application and how your talents and experience can bring value to this role.

Pregnancy Justice is an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, gender, pregnancy, national origin, height and weight, citizenship, marital or domestic partnership status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, military or veteran status, physical characteristics such as height and weight, or any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pregnancy Justice recognizes and values the benefits of a diverse workforce.

How To Apply:

To apply, please submit: (1) a cover letter (one-page maximum), and (2) a resume.

Application deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority given to applications from 2L students received by November 1, 2024. 1L applications will be considered on a rolling basis after December 2.