Legal Intern, Tenants Rights' Unit
New York, NY
Internship
Tenants Rights' Unit
Student (College)
About NYLAG:
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services were virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of 380 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.
Job description
The legal intern will work closely with the Bronx team in NYLAG’s Tenants’ Rights Unit in a unique non-Right-to-Counsel, housing-litigation practice, which addresses housing instability creatively, proactively, and outside of the crisis of an eviction proceeding. The legal intern will work closely with an experienced NYLAG attorney on research and outreach related to complex affirmative litigation in state and federal court and administrative proceedings at DHCR. The intern will also work on eviction-defense cases and cases related to repairs (HPs) in Bronx Housing Court.
This internship will ground students in substantive housing law and practice and procedure unique to landlord-tenant litigation. The intern will be paired with an experienced NYLAG attorney to assist with client interviews and out-of-court advocacy directed at potential partners to help resolve a client’s housing instability and address other issues contributing to the client’s eviction risk.
This unpaid summer internship begins on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, until Friday, August 1, 2025.
Duties and Responsibilities
Qualifications
Application Instructions: Please save resume, cover letter, and a writing sample on one pdf.
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Covid Vaccination Policy: Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services were virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of 380 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.
Job description
The legal intern will work closely with the Bronx team in NYLAG’s Tenants’ Rights Unit in a unique non-Right-to-Counsel, housing-litigation practice, which addresses housing instability creatively, proactively, and outside of the crisis of an eviction proceeding. The legal intern will work closely with an experienced NYLAG attorney on research and outreach related to complex affirmative litigation in state and federal court and administrative proceedings at DHCR. The intern will also work on eviction-defense cases and cases related to repairs (HPs) in Bronx Housing Court.
This internship will ground students in substantive housing law and practice and procedure unique to landlord-tenant litigation. The intern will be paired with an experienced NYLAG attorney to assist with client interviews and out-of-court advocacy directed at potential partners to help resolve a client’s housing instability and address other issues contributing to the client’s eviction risk.
This unpaid summer internship begins on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, until Friday, August 1, 2025.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Draft pleadings and/or the first draft of a substantive motions
- Observe and/or participate in client calls and meetings, advocacy calls with opposing counsel and other outside parties
- Participate in court appearances which can include settlement negotiations and oral arguments.
- Objective legal research and writing assignments
- Maintaining client files
- Legal research and writing
- Other duties that arise
Qualifications
- Must be current law student
Application Instructions: Please save resume, cover letter, and a writing sample on one pdf.
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Covid Vaccination Policy: Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.
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