PFJ offers remote internships year-round (dates are flexible). We are deeply committed to equity, inclusion, and diversity in all of our hiring. People with identities or lived experience that overlap with those of our clients are strongly encouraged to apply.
Interns work with PFJ's national team to support substantive projects based on the intern's skills and interests, and related to PFJ's organizational or programmatic development. Interns do not work directly with clients and they do not work in public defender offices. If you are interested in an internship working directly with clients, we suggest raeching out to your local public defender office.
Examples of past intern projects include:
Mapping treatment facilities, civil legal practitioners, emergency housing options, and other vital community partners in one of PFJ's host jurisdictions
Researching and recommending best practices that PFJ could implement to support Advocates’ mental health and wellness during their time with PFJ
Identifying potential opportunities to spread the word about PFJ and develop content to tell PFJ’s story through social media channels
Research fundraising prospects, drafting research reports to make the case for collaborative defense, and contributing to grant proposals
A current undergraduate or graduate student who will receive funding or course credit from your school for participating in an internship
Passionate about public service, social justice, civil rights, or poverty alleviation
Interested in learning about how the legal system and state/municipal governments operate
Able to take initiative and work independently; excellent writing skills and strong attention to detail
PFJ accept internship applications on a rolling basis. We will reach out to interested applicants about potential opportunities as needs arise. Due to the volume of interest we receive, we are unfortunately unable to reply to every application.
Have questions about PFJ or any of our careers or internships? Reach out to our team and we will get back to you.
An extremely low-income woman was charged with stealing. She was held in jail on a bond she could not pay, panicking because she couldn’t care for her husband. He was unhoused and experiencing mental illness. Her lawyer pleaded with the judge to release her to care for her loved one, but the judge was unmoved. At PFJ, we don’t just work for individuals; in many instances, we work for whole families.
