Academic Year Law Student Externships and Fellowships
Applications for in-person or hybrid, part-time or full-time law student externships during the academic year are accepted on a rolling basis. 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 [email protected].
Interested in applying for a post-graduate fellowship with Pine Tree? A post graduate fellowship posting will be listed at ptla.org/careers when available, usually in May with an application deadline in early July.
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.
Undergraduate Internship Opportunities Summer 2025
Consumer Unit Intern
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 remote) schedule is strongly preferred, and the position could be based in either our Augusta or Portland office.
Instructions for Applicants:
To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Mary Murphy, Pro Bono Program paralegal, at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2025 at 5 pm, and we hope to make a hiring decision by the end of March 2025. Please indicate in your cover letter whether you could work in PTLA's Augusta and/or Portland office location. Students must successfully pass a conflict and criminal background check before the internship is finalized.
Family Law/Victims' Rights Unit Intern - Bangor office
Pine Tree's Family Law/Victims’ Rights Unit is seeking an undergraduate intern to work in person, based in our Bangor office, supporting legal services primarily assisting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Please see our general undergraduate internship description above. This will be an unpaid, full-time (37.5 hours/week), 10-week position.
***Please note that cases handled by PTLA, particularly by our Family Law/Victims’ Rights Unit, often involve distressing subject matter including sexual assault, domestic violence, and other kinds of crises.
Instructions for Applicants:
To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Mary Murphy, Pro Bono Program paralegal, at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2025 at 5 pm, and we hope to make a hiring decision by the end of March 2025. Students must successfully pass a conflict and criminal background check before the internship is finalized.
Undergraduate Intern - Lewiston office
This is one undergraduate internship position to be shared between PTLA's Basic and Family Law/Victims' Rights (FLVR) units in our Lewiston office. The intern would be expected to work primarily in person, but a hybrid schedule (partially in-person, partially remote) may be considered. Pine Tree's Basic unit focuses primarily on housing law/eviction defense, consumer law and public benefits, while our FLVR unit offers civil legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. This will be an unpaid, full-time (37.5 hours/week), 10-week position.
***Please note that cases handled by PTLA, particularly by our Family Law/Victims’ Rights Unit, often involve distressing subject matter including sexual assault, domestic violence, and other kinds of crises.
Instructions for Applicants:
To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Mary Murphy, Pro Bono Program paralegal, at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2025 at 5 pm, and we hope to make a hiring decision by the end of March 2025. Students must successfully pass a conflict and criminal background check before the internship is finalized.
Undergraduate Academic Year Opportunities
All undergraduate opportunities for the 2024-2025 academic year have now been filled.
We expect to post part-time undergraduate opportunities for the 2025-2026 academic year by late April 2025.