PFJ offers remote internships in the fall, spring or summer semester (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 design and deliver a substantive project 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. Examples of past projects include:
Creating a map of community partners to support PFJ’s work in one of our host communities by identifying the best treatment facilities, civil legal practitioners, emergency housing options, and other vital service providers
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 specific channels
Organizing logistics for our annual Advocate training retreat
In addition, interns may be asked to take on some operational responsibilities, such as preparing meeting materials, contributing to PFJ's social media accounts, supporting grant applications, or tracking donor contributions.
A current undergraduate or graduate student
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 is able to offer interns a small stipend to recognize the time they are investing with us. We encourage you to explore financial support that your educational institution might provide (course credit, internship stipends) and we are happy to help you with any associated requirements.
Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. To submit an application, please email hiring@partnersforjustice.org with a resume and a recent transcript. In lieu of a cover letter, please include a short written statement describing:
Why you are interested in an internship with PFJ
The dates and number of hours you are available
Any financial support or academic credit you plan to access through your school
Have questions about PFJ or any of our careers or internships? Reach out to our team and we will get back to you.
Recently, I was asked to describe our work at PFJ through the lens of personal experience, and in the course of trying to do so, I found myself doing the difficult work of confronting my own past, and my own experience of privilege in the legal system.
