Academic Year Law Student Externships and Fellowships
Applications for remote or in-person, part- or full-time law student externships and fellowships during the academic year are accepted on a rolling basis. Pine Tree is enthusiastic about partnering with law students and recent law graduates to develop fellowship proposals as resources allow. The number of opportunities varies from year to year. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume by email to Shannon Karam, Esq. (she/her), Director of Pro Bono Services, at skaram@ptla.org.
Pine Tree is committed to creating an inclusive environment for staff and volunteers. We encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds, including women, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people who have experienced poverty or homelessness.
Undergraduate Internships
Opportunities may include interviewing and presenting legal information to clients, and/or research, investigation, and assisting with development and program needs. PTLA also makes an effort to tailor responsibilities to each intern’s respective interests and goals. Interns can expect their experiences to enhance their understanding of Maine's civil legal system and of the obstacles people with low incomes face as they attempt to resolve often overwhelming legal matters.
Interns will learn how PTLA and other nonprofit legal services providers work to overcome barriers to justice, while making valuable contributions toward this goal. Activities may include attending staff case review sessions, observing court cases, participating in our summer lecture series introducing many of our areas of practice, and participating in group projects.
Duties and Responsibilities may include:
- Work closely with paralegals to intake new clients both in court and through call center hours.
- Meet with clients and assist with preparation of necessary paperwork and the collection of relevant evidence, including gathering documents, and photographing living conditions.
- Attend case meetings (as schedule allows) where attorneys collaboratively review cases and develop legal strategies for litigation.
- Shadow advocates at a variety of court proceedings, and possibly observe trial or law court arguments.
- Participate in a weekly lunch lecture series, gaining exposure to practice areas at Pine Tree across the state and insight into how the various areas of practice work together to provide holistic legal services to low-income Mainers.
- Assist with community outreach programs and research related to project and grant development.
- Assist with administrative tasks (data entry, copying, filing, etc.) as assigned.
Requirements:
Pine Tree seeks highly motivated student interns, with a demonstrated interest in working with low-income individuals from diverse backgrounds. Interns should have strong research, writing and communication skills, and the ability to work independently and in a group.
Summer Undergraduate Internships
For summer 2023, PTLA has one undergraduate intern opportunity:
Our statewide Consumer Law Unit, which assists clients with debt collection, foreclosure, auto fraud, student loans, and other consumer issues, is seeking an undergraduate intern for a full-time (37.5 hours/week), 10-week position. This is an unpaid position. The intern would be assisting with consumer-related research and outreach, and other duties as assigned (see our general undergraduate internship description above).
An in-person or hybrid (partially in-person, partially from home) schedule is preferred, and the position could be based in either our Augusta or Portland office.
To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Mary Murphy, Pro Bono Program paralegal, at mmurphy@ptla.org. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2023, and we hope to make a hiring decision by March 31, 2023. Please indicate in your cover letter whether you could work in PTLA's Augusta and/or Portland office location.
Academic Year Undergraduate Internships
Pine Tree sometimes has a limited number of part-time undergraduate internships during the academic year. Applications for these positions are accepted on a rolling basis. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume via email to Mary Murphy, Pro Bono Program Paralegal, at mmurphy@ptla.org.