During the fall and spring semesters, the Legal Aid Society supervises a limited number of law school externs who are placed with us through their law schools. Law School externs earn academic credit towards their Juris Doctor degrees. During the summer, the Legal Aid Society supervises law students performing unpaid internships which do not earn course credit.

Externs and interns are usually assigned to either our District Court Bureau which handles misdemeanor cases, or our Family Court Bureau which represents respondents in the Nassau Family Court in neglect, family offense, custody, and support cases. Externs will sometimes assist our County Court attorneys who represent clients charged with felonies.

Externs work on a daily basis with our staff attorneys. Their duties will include interviewing clients and family members, attending court conferences, legal research and writing, field investigations, and assisting attorneys during pre-trial hearings and at trial.

The program is designed to provide law students with hands-on practical experience in the criminal justice system.

CURRENT AVAILABILITY:

NCLAS Summer Internship Program 2012: Applications will be accepted between February 1 and March 14 for NCLAS's Summer Internship program for law school students. The program runs 8-10 weeks (June-August) and consists of: client interviews, courtroom observation, jail visits, legal research, writing motions, and other assignments. Interns will rotate through both County Court and District Court to assist attorneys handling felony and misdemeanor cases. Interns will be expected to learn quickly and work zealously on behalf of our clients.

Prior course work in Criminal Procedure and Evidence preferred, but not required. Please email a resume and cover letter to Timothy Naples, Deputy Chief, District Court Bureau, at: tnaples@nclas.org, or mail to: One Helen Keller Way, Third Floor, Hempstead, NY 11550.