2027 Summer Legal Intern / Law Clerk

Summary Are you interested in pursuing a public interest law career and advocating on behalf of vulnerable young people? Would you like to learn about strategies for advancing systemic change in child welfare and juvenile justice, beyond just seeking individual remedies for clients? The Youth Law Center invites current 1L and 2L students to envision their possible place in the youth justice advocacy landscape by applying to join us as a summer 2027 legal intern.

Since 1978, YLC has advocated on behalf of systems-involved young people to end traumatic practices and unsafe conditions in California and nationally and to ensure that young people receive the supports, opportunities, and quality care they need in order to become thriving adults. YLC has led the field to transform the child welfare and juvenile justice systems to be truly child-focused and research-informed through the use of a variety of advocacy tools: impact litigation, policy reform, media advocacy, collaborative system-change projects, training and technical assistance, and public education. YLC is especially committed to centering the perspectives and voices of the young people and families most impacted by the systems we advocate to change, and we partner with other organizations that share this priority.

Please note that YLC does not provide direct legal representation to individual youth and families.

Our summer interns will contribute to a variety of YLC's ongoing and emerging advocacy projects, based on their particular interests and strengths, with a specific goal of developing at least one strong writing sample for use in future job and funding applications. Interns will enjoy the benefits of working with multiple attorneys in our highly collaborative, welcoming, and dedicated team, and can look forward to a rich summer program including:

Training through our annual summer seminar series, providing overviews of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, different strategic approaches