Legal Internships

Every summer, NCLC immerses a talented group of law student interns in the world of consumer law and advocacy over a productive 11-week program. We greatly appreciate the contributions of past interns and look forward to welcoming our 2025 Summer Interns.

NCLC legal interns are assigned to teams of five-to-six attorneys, which focus on litigation, non-mortgage lending (credit cards, auto student loans, and various forms of predatory loan products), mortgage lending, bankruptcy, access to utilities, and racial justice and equal economic opportunities issues. Assignments range from researching and drafting litigation memos and briefs, work on NCLC’s manuals, investigative reports, training materials, policy analyses, and articles.

Meet the 2023 Summer Interns

I helped NCLC’s Energy Unit put together materials supporting NCLC’s advocacy for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps connect low-income households to essential broadband service. I didn’t know much about policy advocacy before coming to NCLC, but through this project and others, I was able to learn about a whole sphere of public interest law I had never interacted with before.

Frances Maurer (Greenfield Fellow, Washington University School of Law)

While it was a little daunting at first, it’s an incredible privilege to get to spend the summer working among the nation’s experts on consumer law. I could literally walk over to one of the country’s authorities on debt collection and knock on her door to ask a question or to test out a legal theory.

Katie Osborn (University of Michigan Law School)

Working at a nonprofit was a new experience for me, and I had the opportunity to learn about both substantive consumer law issues and everything that goes into running a national nonprofit organization. I really enjoyed working with people who are so dedicated to public service and becoming part of the community at NCLC.

Myron Minn-Thu-Aye (Seton Hall Law School)

By getting to take on a wide range of projects – letters to federal agencies, working on cases, and many others – I’ve gotten exposure to a range of consumer issues, including ones I wasn’t expecting to encounter. As a future public interest attorney, I found it inspiring to see how many ways there are to create change and help people.

Alex Emmons (Yale Law School)

I worked with NCLC advocates to prepare an amicus brief digging deeply into troubling lending practices that we alleged harmed Black and Hispanic communities. It was such a meaningful experience to help fight on behalf of people whose experiences are often discounted. In the future, I want to focus on work that is as important and impactful as the work I’ve done here.

Sydney Brun-Ozuna (Hobbs Fellow, Washington and Lee University School of Law)

NCLC’s 2022 Summer Interns

I started to realize that everything at NCLC is interconnected. Getting to work on a range of issues showed me how NCLC attorneys have their own specialties, but also know a little bit about everything. I’m looking forward to returning as a fellow to focus on building wealth in communities of color through affordable homeownership.

Nketiah “Ink” Berko (Yale Law School, Incoming Post-Graduate NCLC Legal Fellow)

I spent a lot of time developing a damages theory for a case ​in which we alleged that a tenant screening company​’s practices were discriminatory. I eventually got to present my theory to a group of senior attorneys. It was a little nerve-wracking – but also really validating to see my theory taken seriously and discussed on its merits.

Talia Rothstein (Hobbs Fellow, Yale Law School)

The first thing I learned about NCLC was that it focused on racial justice. That’s what drew me to the internship program. I ended up learning a lot about the nexus of criminal justice and consumer law – an area of law I hadn’t even heard of a year before.

Paige Lehman (Greenfield Fellow, Washington University School of Law)

The level of sophistication and detail that NCLC puts into its work is pretty astounding. It’s hard to fully appreciate when you’re on the outside applying for the internship, but every item I worked on was reviewed thoroughly by the country’s foremost experts.

Wesley Ward (University of Michigan School of Law)

I’ve often been told that it’s rare for young attorneys to find positions involving a wide range of legal work – but at NCLC, I got to work on a really interesting mix of issues. I was able to start developing a wide range of advocacy skills that are essential for building a career in public interest law.

Tom Cassaro (New York University School of Law)