Your Social Justice Career Begins Here

Do you want to gain invaluable experience in civil rights and the invigorating and crucial work of a non-profit legal organization?

Impact for Equity hosts law and policy summer and academic-year interns and externs. Legal and graduate students work individually and in collaboration within one of our two program areas—Criminal Legal System  and Housing—assisting our legal and policy staff to help make an impact on justice.

The work of our interns and externs varies widely and could include projects such as :

  • Researching legal and policy issues;
  • Writing memoranda, briefs, and policy papers;
  • Developing legal or policy strategies; or
  • Participating in meetings with Impact for Equity staff and with coalition partners, community members, and government stakeholders.

Internship Requirements

Law and policy graduate students are invited to apply for internships at Impact for Equity.

At a minimum, all applicants should possess:

  • A demonstrated commitment to civil rights and social justice;

  • Strong research and writing abilities;

  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team and in partnership with community stakeholders;

  • Self-motivation and comfort with handling multiple projects or assignments at a time;

  • An ability to work 40 hours a week for at least 10 weeks for a summer internship; an ability to work at least 10 to 15 hours a week during the academic year;

  • An ability to commute to Impact for Equity’s office in downtown Chicago at least three days a week for summer internships, as our office operates on a hybrid schedule.

How to Apply

To apply, submit your resume, cover letter, and writing sample to .

Please indicate in your cover letter whether you are applying for an externship or internship and explain which program area you are interested in and why. We begin accepting Summer Internship applications on November 1st for second year law students and November 15th for first-year law students and policy students. Applicants for externships may apply in advance of their expected availability. We hire on a rolling basis.

  • Impact for Equity may be able to provide partial or full financial support to summer interns who demonstrate that they have exhausted efforts to secure school and/or other external funds.

  • Funding for law students may also be available through the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), which offers stipends for law student interns. Please visit their website (https://pili.org/internships/) for more details on application cycles and deadlines. We generally do not provide funding to school-year interns. We will work with students so that they may receive academic credit for their work if desired.

I thank Impact for Equity for the role it played in my early professional development.  My summer at Impact for Equity introduced me to distinguished professionals committed to impactful and powerful work, and those values have never departed from me.  Impact for Equity greatly influenced how I center social justice and equity in my work both professionally and personally and my commitment to advancing an equitable built environment where everyone can thrive.

– Ryan Christopher Green, former Impact for Equity Intern