The Sixth Amendment Center (6AC) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that no person faces potential time in jail or prison without first having the aid of a lawyer with the time, ability, and resources to present an effective defense, as required under the United States Constitution. 6AC is a great organization for law students located anywhere in the country and interested in criminal justice policy reform to intern at. Through 6AC’s Law Student Network’s internship program, students have the opportunity to engage in hands-on experience, research and writing, and career growth and development. Below is a list of just a few projects that our law students have worked on:

  • Legal research and writing on cutting-edge issues pertaining to the right to counsel (ex: Pretrial Incarceration: A Public Health Crisis Mitigated by Early Appointment of Counsel);
  • Recognition in nationally published reports by participating in 6AC’s evaluative work through research, court observations and stakeholder interviews (ex: The Right to Counsel in Illinois and evaluations in California, New Hampshire, and Michigan);
  • Ongoing career advice and mentorship from 6AC’s staff and Executive Director, who is nationally recognized in the fields of criminal justice practice and policy; and
  • A crash course on the right to counsel in America and individual supervision from a supervisor with experience and training in supervising law students.

Law students should have completed courses in Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, and Legal Research and Writing. To apply, students should submit a (1) cover letter explaining their interest in indigent defense reform, (2) resume, (3) law school transcript (may be unofficial), and (4) writing sample. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis and should be addressed to Nancy Bennett (nancy.bennett@6ac.org) and Aditi Goel (aditi.goel@6ac.org). 6AC will consider student requests for alternative schedules and hours to accommodate academic calendar and credit needs.

www.sixthamendment.org

Once students have accepted an internship with the  Sixth Amendment Center, students must apply for independent clinical credits in order to earn academic credit. https://hls.harvard.edu/clinics/independent-clinical
Questions about the application process and the related requirements may be directed to Dana Pierce at dpierce@law.harvard.edu.