The Summer Internship Program provides opportunities for first- and second-year Loyola College of Law students, to work as interns in Legal Services Offices in Louisiana and throughout the United States. Notices are posted in the spring requesting interested students to submit resumes and a cover memo for consideration for a position in a 501 (c) 3 or Legal Services Office participating in the program. After all resumes have been collected, the Poverty Law Center will host an informational session where students meet with representatives of participating offices. In the following weeks, students are interviewed and job offers are extended. The internships are for a period of ten weeks during the summer. Stipends are provided to the participating office for student salaries by the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center.
About the Summer Internship Program
The summer program provides opportunities for first-and second-year Loyola students to primarily work for any Pro Bono office which is funded by the Legal Services Corporation. Funding for the Gillis Long program is provided by the Legal Services Corporation, and we must adhere to their guidelines. The Center pays the salaries for students who make a commitment to work for ten weeks during the summer assisting staff attorneys in these offices. In recent years, a limited number of out-of-state students have been given an opportunity to return home for the summer to also work in a legal services office. Students receive training beyond their law school course work, and legal services staff attorneys are freed to focus on critical issues. The following are just a few of the offices which have been approved for participation in the program:
Students who wish to participate in the program must submit a resume and cover memo to the Gillis Long Office, which is then forwarded to the participating offices. Students may not seek a summer position without the approval of the Gillis Long Associate Director. This ensures a fair process for all interested students. Depending on available funds, the Gillis Long office will determine the number of students to be placed.
July, 2012 Program Update
For the summer of 2012, the Gillis Long office placed forty-eight students in sixteen offices in Louisiana and throughout the United States. The office awarded $190,250.00 in summer stipends. From 1991 through 2012, a grand total of $1,864,150.00 has been provided for summer salaries.
2012 Student Summer Intern Sample Comments
"I found my experience at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services to be incredibly rewarding. I was able to help people who genuinely needed it in ways that had very tangible results. The lawyers and staff here are wonderfully patient and helpful, and I received the mentoring that I had hoped to get. With any luck, I will have the privilege of occupying the same chair I am in now after my graduation from Loyola Law." A. Weaner, J.D., May 2014
"In general I am having a great experience at the Advocacy Center, and while my professional background with seniors sparked my interest in this agency, it has been incredibly rewarding to help people with disabilities in Louisiana. This has been a very educational and fulfilling placement."
B. Arnold, J.D., May 2014
"I have enjoyed my experience at theMetropolitan Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless. In the next few weeks, I want to continue to help as many people as possible in any way I can. After this experience, I hope to have a better understanding of Georgia criminal and civil law and the experiences and struggles faced by the homeless." P. Kaysee, J.D., May 2014
"I have been working in the Litigation Unit of Acadiana Legal Services reviewing cases involving bankruptcy, credit lending, successions, and housing issues. I am thoroughly enjoying this internship thus far, and feel that I'm learning a great deal." C. Guidry, J.D., May 2014
"I have been interning in the Immigration Section of the Loyola Law Clinic and have had the opportunity to observe in the Immigration Court in New Orleans, interact with clients, visit the detention center in Tensas Parish and conduct interviews of immigrant detainees. I have learned so much already and am grateful for the opportunity to participate in such important work." E. Trostle, J.D., May 2014
"I am thoroughly enjoying this internship at Health Law Advocates of Louisiana and I feel that the practical knowledge will be very helpful to me as a practitioner." N. Cook, J.D., May 2013
"My internship with the Pro Bono Project has been instructive and enjoyable. I would like to thank the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center for providing me with this opportunity." D. Durocher, J.D., May 2015
"I have spent the last month working for the Natchitoches Office of North Louisiana Legal Services. This office mainly focuses on Family Law and Social Security Law. I have come to appreciate the dedication and hard work it requires to be a pro bono attorney." M. Scott, J.D., May 2014