The Land Court is a court of limited jurisdiction and is one of seven trial court departments across the Commonwealth. It offers specialized expertise to resolve disputes involving the ownership, development, and use of real property. In addition to exclusive jurisdiction over land registration and confirmation, and tax lien foreclosures, the Land Court also has concurrent jurisdiction over a wide range of real estate-related matters, including zoning and subdivision cases, specific performance of contracts regarding real estate, and petitions for partition of real property.
Winter/Spring Internship
The Land Court is now accepting applications for its winter/spring internship cycle. Internships are part-time and require a minimum of 15 hours per week.
Interns are assigned to work directly with a specific judge. The Land Court operates on an individual calendar system, with one judge assigned to handle a case from the date of the filing of the complaint to final judgment. The Land Court has statewide jurisdiction and does not have regions or rotations. It is located in the Suffolk County Courthouse at Three Pemberton Square in Boston.
Land Court internships offer the opportunity to work closely with the judges and their judicial law clerks. Interns are often tasked with drafting bench memoranda, orders, and decisions, allowing them to apply and improve their legal research and writing skills. Interns also attend court hearings to assist the judge, observe, and take notes.
How to Apply:
Please email an application to the Land Court Judicial Secretary at landcourtlobby@jud.state.ma.us. Applications must be sent in PDF format and include:
(1) a cover letter addressed to the “Justices of the Land Court;”
(2) a resume;
(3) a law school transcript; and
(4) a writing sample of no more than ten pages.
All correspondence should be sent to the judicial secretary and not to individual judges. No hard copy applications, please. Judges review all applications and select individual students to interview.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
A demonstrated interest in real estate, real property law, zoning, development or other related areas is preferred.
For more information about the Land Court, please visit https://www.mass.gov/orgs/land-court.