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How to hire a law internship

Law internship hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring law interns in the United States:

  • There are currently 155,487 law interns in the US, as well as 51,663 job openings.
  • Law interns are in the highest demand in Boston, MA, with 6 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a law internship is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new law internship to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a law internship, step by step

To hire a law internship, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a law internship, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step law internship hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a law internship job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new law internship
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a law internship do?

A law internship is a program that is designed for law students to give them valuable insight into the professional lives of attorneys and judges. Law interns need to understand and observe what being a lawyer involves. They are required to conduct research and present it to their superiors for case preparations. They must assist their senior lawyers in organizing all of their legal paperwork that includes case files, evidence records, and legal documents. Law interns are also required to be present in the courtroom to assist lawyers and experience actual courtroom proceedings.

Learn more about the specifics of what a law internship does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your law internship job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a law internship for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A law internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, law interns from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of law interns.

    Type of Law InternshipDescriptionHourly rate
    Law Internship$11-30
    ParalegalParalegals are law firm or legal department employees who work on cases with lawyers. They handle different activities, usually administrative or clerical, such as organizing and maintaining files, updating records, and managing correspondences, among others... Show more$16-33
    Contractor-ParalegalA Contractor-Paralegal works for a law firm or corporate legal department for a specified amount of time, or for a specified task. They can be specialized in the entertainment industry or in providing services to healthcare companies and insurance providers.$17-47
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Litigation
    • Legal Issues
    • Trial Preparation
    • Legal Memos
    • Real Estate
    • Legal Intern
    • Intellectual Property
    • Law Firm
    • Interrogatories
    • Law Enforcement
    • Court Proceedings
    • Subpoenas
    • Family Law
    • Legal Advice
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Prepare probate documents, including petition for probate, inventory, and statement of account.
    • Observe investigations and write different court documents including subpoenas, court orders and affidavits
    • File commercial cases, develop affidavits and correspondence, and coordinate subpoenas delivery.
    • Draft summary judgment motions and answer interrogatories and production requests in medical malpractice cases.
    • Research proposed legislative bill allowing survivor access to a decedent s online accounts in probate proceedings.
    • Research and prepare for arbitration of labor contract disputes; participate in collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
    More law internship duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your law internship job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A law internship salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, law interns' average salary in oklahoma is 75% less than in district of columbia.
    • Seniority. Entry-level law interns earn 62% less than senior-level law interns.
    • Certifications. A law internship with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a law internship's salary.

    Average law internship salary

    $39,394yearly

    $18.94 hourly rate

    Entry-level law internship salary
    $24,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025

    Average law internship salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1District of Columbia$84,589$41
    2California$52,871$25
    3Washington$50,608$24
    4Pennsylvania$45,408$22
    5Maryland$42,936$21
    6Minnesota$40,232$19
    7Colorado$38,476$19
    8Missouri$35,742$17
    9Oregon$33,672$16
    10Wisconsin$29,577$14
    11Indiana$26,118$13
    12Georgia$24,365$12

    Average law internship salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1NAIC$99,035$47.61
    2PACCAR$81,403$39.14
    3ACLU of Illinois$62,467$30.0314
    4Graphic Packaging International$50,756$24.40
    5Kemper$49,806$23.95
    6Deschutes County$49,272$23.69
    7Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley$44,916$21.59
    8Protective Insurance$43,450$20.89
    9Vermont Law School$41,387$19.902
    10City of Santa Monica$38,181$18.361
    11Defenders of Wildlife$36,777$17.68
    12City of Eden Prairie$34,461$16.571
    13Catholic Community Services of Utah$34,278$16.48
    14County of Nevada, CA$33,060$15.89
    15Indiana State Police$32,261$15.514
    16Hershey Jobs$31,844$15.31
  4. Writing a law internship job description

    A job description for a law internship role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a law internship job description:

    Law internship job description example

    ABOUT THE ACLU

    For 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation's guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it's ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, advancing racial justice, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties and civil rights cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With nearly two million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual's rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, and record of arrest or conviction.

    INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW
    • Location : Due to COVID-19 our offices are currently operating in reduced capacities. We plan to launch a Summer 2023 internship program that offers a limited number of in-person, remote, or hybrid intern positions. Candidates for this internship who are located in proximity to the New York office may opt to work with us in-person if interested. Those not located in proximity to the New York office or who wish to remain remote may work with us remotely.
    • Time Commitment : This Summer internship requires a full-time commitment of 35 hours per week.
    • Internship Duration: Full-time internships extend for a 10-week period. Summer interns are expected to start May 30 or June 12, 2023 .
    • Stipend: A stipend is available for those students who do not receive course credit and are lawfully authorized to work. Students who receive outside funding are eligible for a partial stipend to bring their total funding up to the level of ACLU's stipend amount for that term, if applicable. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit. Below is the stipend breakdown by term:
      • Summer: $6,500 for undergraduate students or equivalent experience and $7,500 for graduate and law students or equivalent experience.
    RESPONSIBILITIES

    Interns will conduct research, writing, and investigation across CLRP's priority areas, and play an active role on litigation teams. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

    • Legal research
    • Legal writing
    • Fact investigation
    • Other projects as assigned
    EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

    The internship is open to students enrolled at U.S. law schools who will have completed at least one year of law school before the internship commences. Interns should possess the following:

    • Excellent research skills, including conducting internet and legal database research
    • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and writing
    • Attention to detail, excellent organizing and time-management skills
    • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
    • The initiative to see projects through to completion
    • A commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justice
    • Commitment to the mission of the ACLU and CLRP
    • Valid work authorization for those seeking a stipend from the ACLU

    This posting provides a general but not comprehensive list of the opportunities of the inte

  5. Post your job

    To find the right law internship for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with law interns they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit law interns who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your law internship job on Zippia to find and recruit law internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit law interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new law internship

    Once you've decided on a perfect law internship candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a law internship?

Recruiting law interns involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

Law interns earn a median yearly salary is $39,394 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find law interns for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $11 and $30.

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