Location: Detroit or Grand Rapids, MI
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Learn more about the Legal Internship position.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.

As you make your game plan for applying for summer internships, you may be trying to strategize about which applications to submit earlier or later. Though 1Ls can apply to summer jobs on or after December 1, employers’ hiring timelines after that date can vary significantly. Here are some examples of employers with early deadlines.

Location: Diamond Bar, CA
Deadline: January 17, 2025
Learn more about the Summer Internship, Law Clerk position.

Location: Newark, NJ
Deadline: January 14, 2025
Learn more about the Summer Intern position.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.

Location: Los Angeles, Oakland, & San Diego, CA
Deadline: February 1, 2025
Learn more about the Summer 2025 Intern position.

Location: Denver, CO
Deadline: February 21, 2025
Learn more about the Law Student Volunteer Summer 2025 position.

International Legal Studies (ILS) is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 International Legal Studies Post-Graduate Fellowships. The Fellowships are open to HLS graduates from the classes of 2022-2025.

Applications are due to International Legal Studies by Monday, January 13, 2025. Learn more about the ILS Post-Graduate Fellowships.

A strong resume and cover letter are essential to making a good first impression with a potential summer employer and helping them start to get to know you. The following OPIA resources can help you perfect these documents and present your background and experiences in a way that employers will find compelling.

Location: Washington, D.C.
Deadline: January 15, 2025
Learn more about the Law Intern position.

Location: Charleston, SC
Deadline: January 15, 2025
Learn more about the Ackerman Fellowship.

1Ls interested in summer public interest work are now invited to make a one-on-one counseling appointment with an OPIA adviser to occur after October 15. Any of our generalist advisers can help you begin your job search; you can review adviser bios and schedule an appointment online. Choose one of the “general advising” scheduling options if you are in the early stages of exploration. Alternatively, if you have identified specific interests aligned with one of our more specific appointment options, you can select one of those instead. Please do not email the general OPIA email address or individual advisers asking for an advising appointment, as all 1Ls should be using CSM to schedule appointments.

To help prepare for your advising session, we encourage you to read our e-advising post that provides further guidance on your 1L appointment.

Interested in learning more about government careers? The following resources can help you begin your exploration.

Location: New Orleans, LA
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Learn more about the Summer 2025 Law Clerk Program.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.

Environmental litigation focused, this two-year fellowship for HLS puts a lot of weight on the writing sample as evidence of strong research and legal analytical skills. Fellows are expected to indicate their preference for NRDC in NY, CA, DC, or IL and sit for the bar in that state before beginning the fellowship. The cover letter is usually a couple of pages and recommendations are scrutinized. Interviews often discuss the writing sample and complex or special litigation experience. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. 

This two-year fellowship conducts high impact litigation and advocacy through four main projects: Access to Justice in the civil court system such as forced arbitration or limits on collective action; Debtors’ Prison to combat criminalization of poverty; Students’ Civil Rights Project to end discrimination and seek systemic change in school settings; Environmental Enforcement to hold corporations accountable for enforcing environmental state and federal laws. Emphasis on strong research and writing skills, experience with litigation, and agility working across civil rights issue areas with diverse individuals and teams under time pressure. 

Immigrant Justice Corps. Demonstrate a strong commitment to immigration work and policy reform. Highlight proficiency in languages other than English, cultural competence, trauma-sensitive interview skills, and direct representation. Mention stakeholders, movement lawyering, and collaborative work in high pressured settings with diverse individuals and age groups. Indicate readiness to take the bar. Contact your top-choice organizations to express interest. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

In an effort to help guide you in your public sector summer job search and beyond, we've answered some common 1L questions about accessing OPIA advisers and services.

Representatives of student organizations, if you are planning any career-related events, please email opia@law.harvard.edu. We would love to minimize conflicts, can help identify speakers, and/or spread the word in our weekly emails.

Location: Mobile, AL
Deadline: March 28, 2025
Learn more about the 2025 Summer Internship position.

Location:Los Angeles, CA
Deadline:April 4, 2025
Learn more about the Summer Law Clerk position.

Location: Across the U.S.
Deadline: January 15, 2025
Learn more about the Legal Externship position.
This job posting has not been vetted by our office and the employer has not given assurances of non-discrimination or compliance with our recruitment policies.