Summer 2026 Legal Internship for Rising 3Ls

Make a Difference. Become a Defender

The Defender Association of Philadelphia will soon be accepting applications from law school students who have completed their 2L year for our Summer Internship Program, focused on our criminal trial practice divisions. 

The Defender Association is a non-profit public interest law firm representing over 70% of individuals charged with crimes in Philadelphia. We are committed to client-centered advocacy from arraignment through appeal, and we operate as part of a multi-disciplinary team that includes social workers, investigators, paralegals, mitigation specialists, and administrative professionals to represent the city’s most vulnerable. 

Our mission extends beyond the courtroom. Through Participatory Defense, expungement clinics, and community-based partnerships, we seek justice not just in legal outcomes but in the lives of our clients.

To qualify for our Rising 3L Summer Internship Program, you must be enrolled in an accredited law school and have completed the equivalent of at least 3 semesters of instruction by Summer 2026. Our office will work with you and your law school to ensure the completion of all required documentation to become a Certified Legal Intern. As a Rising 3L Defender Summer Intern, you will have the chance to argue cases in court. Our goal is to provide participants with the opportunity to litigate various matters in court in the same manner as our first-year attorneys. Under the supervision of our office’s law school clinic instructors, you will: 

• Represent Defender clients at Preliminary Hearings, Motions to Suppress, and Municipal Court trials 

• Draft, file, and argue motions and memoranda of law

• Interview clients via phone, in-person, and at county or state correctional facilities

• Analyze forensic evidence and draft memoranda outlining its significance to the case

• Participate in holistic representation practices to support clients with collateral consequences 

• Collaborate closely with senior attorneys, social workers, investigators, and other Defender staff

Who is the Defender Association? 

The Defender Association of Philadelphia is more than just a law firm. We’re the community’s lawyers.

The Defender team – more than 500 attorneys, social workers, investigators, administrators, and other staff – make sure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to high-quality defense when facing criminal charges. Our mission-driven, client-centered model focuses on outcomes that support a system that is fundamentally fair and creates safer, stronger communities. Our unique model and approach give our staff the skills to support that they need to get the best outcomes for our clients. Many former Defenders go on in their careers to serve as judges, state and federal officials, and successful private practitioners. Come join our team! Follow us @PhilllyDefenders  (Instagram & TikTok) and on LinkedIn. 

The Defender Association provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, The Defender Association complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.