Summer Associate Program

Each summer Legal Aid hosts a group of hard-working and public-interest-minded students to work in four Northeast Ohio offices for our summer associate program. Legal Aid’s summer associate program is prestigious and competitive. In previous years, as many as 170 applications were submitted for the unpaid positions.

Summer associates are expected to work for at least 11 weeks and may work up to 13 weeks. Summer associates work in different areas of the law but all receive the opportunity to learn how to be excellent poverty lawyers. Generally, summer associates will interview clients, draft court pleadings, research relevant legal issues, attend and assist with court hearings and trials and analyze evidence. In addition, all summer associates will participate in weekly training on substantive areas of poverty law, observe oral arguments in the 8th District Court of Appeals and meet afterward with the judges involved. Brown bag lunches with current Legal Aid lawyers and community members including judges, politicians, and leaders of local non-profit agencies are also held on a weekly basis.

Summer associate applicants should have completed their first year of law school by the time they commence work in the summer of the program year; however, special consideration is given to students with a demonstrated commitment to serving disadvantaged people and communities. Law students who speak Spanish are strongly encouraged to apply.

Due to limited financial resources, Legal Aid is unable to pay summer associates; however, applicants are encouraged to apply for summer funding through the following sources: summer grants/fellowships through your law school, Equal Justice Works-Summer Corps Program, Equal Justice America and work study funding.

The application deadline for Legal Aid’s 2012 Summer Associate Program has passed.  Applications for the 2013 Summer Associate Program will be accepted starting in the Fall 2012.