Staff Positions

Development Intern

The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia seeks an intern to assist with fundraising, marketing, and publicity. The ideal candidate is interested in nonprofit administration or legal services; is creative; and has excellent communication skills. College or graduate students preferred but high school students are welcome to apply.  Majors in communications, marketing, nonprofit administration, public administration, legal studies, and history may find the responsibilities of interest.  This unpaid internship is available year round.  Regular availability is required but schedule is flexible; during Summer full-time commitment is preferred.  

Click here for more details and information about how to apply.

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The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia is grateful to the firms around the country that are turning a difficult economic necessity into a benefit for those who are most in need. Those firms are offering their entering lawyers the opportunity to work in the public interest for a year prior to commencing practice at the firm. The Law Center is offering a fellowship opportunity open to recent law school graduates whose start dates have been deferred by their firms and whose fellowship compensation while at the Law Center will be paid by those firms.

We currently have an active docket of cases, many of which are class actions, in the areas of children’s healthcare, voting rights, housing discrimination, environmental health and justice, community services for people with developmental disabilities and mental illness, race and disability discrimination in employment and educational placement, and cases under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Each of these cases requires the full range of litigation tasks: preparing and responding to written discovery, document review, depositions, experts, writing briefs, oral arguments, and participation in hearings, motions and trial. Unlike litigation at a large firm, these cases give new lawyers immediate substantive experience.

Click here for more details and information about how to apply.
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The Philadelphia Public Interest Fellowship Program
The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia is a sponsoring organization for Philadelphia Bar Association Public Interest Fellowship participants. Philadelphia Public Interest Fellowship Program is a unique partnership between the private and public interest legal communities developed in 1992 by the Public Interest Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association that provides an extraordinary opportunity for new attorneys at participating firms to defer private practice for a year while they perform valuable public service at one of Philadelphia’s legal services agencies. The fellowship is administered by the Philadelphia Bar Foundation and is underwritten by the private law firm employer, who spreads the first year salary over two years; the law firm employer also provides benefits.

Visit the Bar Foundation's website to learn more about the program and how to apply.

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Volunteer Positions

The Law Center welcomes volunteers with all levels of experience to assist us in administrative tasks in connection with our special education cases and general cases. Our volunteers include parents, advocates, secretaries, paralegals and others who want to make a difference in their community. Volunteer tasks may include: organizing, indexing and reviewing documents; preparing exhibits, scanning documents, filing, data entry and other essential tasks. We seek individuals who can commit to a regular weekly schedule of a minimum of two hours a day, one day a week. 

Visit our profile on VolunteerMatch to see a listing of specific, current volunteer needs

If you are interested in volunteering, please follow these instructions to submit an application:
1) Right click on the link below that says “Download Volunteer Application”
2) Save as a new document, and title it “Volunteer Application_YOUR NAME.doc”
3) email completed form as an attachment to coordinator@pilcop.org.  You may also print the form and submit it by mail to the address on the bottom of the form.

4) Please allow up to one week for a response from the volunteer coordinator.

Download Volunteer Application

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Past Law Center Interns describe their experience:

My summer internship at PILCOP exceeded my expectations.  I truly hit the ground running once I arrived at PILCOP and I was provided a variety of hands-on assignments and experiences.  I attended a school IEP meeting, reviewed discovery documents, observed attorneys during a deposition, researched substantive and procedural issues to assist attorneys in drafting pleadings and motions, and attended a board meeting.  I was inspired by the passion and commitment of the PILCOP staff members.  The weekly staff meetings were a great way to gain insight regarding current cases and upcoming initiatives.  The attorneys discussed challenges in their cases and welcomed comments and questions from other staff members and interns.  PILCOP’s skilled litigators are also wonderful teachers.  The attorneys provided meaningful learning experiences by outlining background information for each assignment and answering questions to ensure that I not only had the information I needed to complete the assignment, but that I also learned about the litigation process.  I highly recommend a summer at PILCOP to law students seeking a dynamic and rewarding internship.
- Kaitlyn Maxwell, Boston University School of Law, Class of 2012

"I interned at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia for a semester to receive credit for a course in the Urban Studies department at the University of Pennsylvania. The Law Center was highly recommended to me by a friend and former intern, Petry Solianny. Upon my first week at the Law Center, I found a great network of attorneys and staff member that shared my passion for addressing urban disparities. From research on unemployment barriers for ex-offenders to assistance in special education trials, my work at the Center gave me the opportunity to learn firsthand how legal non-profits can engage with the community to make a difference.

 Furthermore, I was able to develop relationships with experienced staff members who were readily accessible as both resources for specific disparities with which I was concerned and as mentors for future careers in the legal field. Some of the highlights of my internship include preparing an entire trial exhibit –from start to finish—for a special education case and attending a hearing on the “Ban the Box” legislation, which was recently passed in Philadelphia."
-Adriane M. Mc Cray, University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2012

Law firms and families generally aren’t associated terms, but I can say, without hesitation, that after having interned for the Public Interest Law Center for the last 11 months, I consider its attorneys, staff, interns, and volunteers to be my second family.
The first thing that clients look for in a law firm is competence, and PILCOP has that in spades. Its attorneys are all incredibly smart individuals with a supernatural knack for the law. Nearly all of the attorneys are already highly accomplished in their field (the last one is too young to be highly accomplished, but there is no doubt he will be soon), with a history of not only securing major, influential decisions, but using their expertise and ability to think in the long-term to change the way the law is interpreted and implemented.
My chief mentor during my time at the Law Center has been Sonja Kerr, Director of the Disabilities Rights Project, and she serves as a perfect example of this type of competence. Her specialty is special education law, and she knows that field inside and out. To watch her argue in a court room is to see a master in their element, and while actual court cases never compare well to those that you see in movies (see A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise), her ability to pull the truth out of tough witnesses is something to behold. I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen her run through a number of seemingly innocuous questions only to spring a trap, with the witness only realizing they have divulged a crucial piece of information when it’s too late.
However, what made working for Sonja – and the other attorneys I had the pleasure to serve – so enjoyable to work with wasn’t her complete and utter competence, but her absolutely commitment to decency. When I first came to the Law Center, I did not know what I was doing. I was a prospective law student with no clue about how litigation worked, and accordingly I made a lot of mistakes. While it was always made clear to me when I had screwed up, I was never made to feel like an idiot. And this refusal to turn their back on a fellow PILCOPer, as if they were your own flesh and blood, only scratches the surface of Sonja and the rest of the Law Center’s decency.
There is an unspoken open door policy at PILCOP. When you need to talk to a staffer or attorney, their door is open and they are willing to talk. This policy isn’t limited to conversation on cases or other work related items. If you want to talk about law school decisions, how bad (or good) your day has been, what the weather is like, or even the score of the baseball game last night, they are all ears. Nor do they make you feel like you are wasting their time. In fact, it has happened a number of times that a staffer has come into MY office to see how I’m doing or to just chit-chat (just to preempt any eyebrow raises out there…this time is not billed and every attorney/staffer always completes their work, even if that requires staying past the time that the cleaning crew comes and leaves).
While I have not been here for ­all that long, I get the sense that a lot of this culture stems from, or is at the very least encouraged by, Executive Director Jennifer Clarke. A Five-Time Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (including from 2006-2009), Jennifer is the sweetest, gentlest, most aggressive and competent attorney you will meet. She conducts weekly staff meetings and follows PILCOP’s most high profile case with extreme interest in both the details and the bigger picture, and when you want to go into her office and talk about whatever, she puts everything on hold (a workload that 99% of Americans would not be able to handle) and talks. In addition, she is both supportive and enthusiastic about less vital office activities, including (but not limited to) a field trip to the Phillies game, the development of a Facebook Fanpage, and Word of the Week (find an obscure word, make a poster with a picture and example sentence on it).
I could go on and on about what makes the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia so great, but what it truly comes down to can be summarized in three words; competence and kindness. As a prospective law student, I have been told over and over again that the law is a grinding, cut-throat field. While I am still fairly sure that is true in 99% of cases, PILCOP proves that great things can be accomplished in the law with a smile on your face and a sense of humanity in your heart.
It was a PILCOP employee, after all, that babysat my dog for one and a half weeks during a law school visit when not even my own family was able to help out.
-Jeremy Garson, Michigan Law School rising 1L, Fall 2010-Spring 2011 Intern

"PILCOP was the perfect place to intern before heading to law school, and provided me with an excellent introduction to the legal world. I had the opportunity to work closely with several of the lawyers, who are extremely approachable and accomplished, and was exposed to a variety of legal areas. I helped conduct research for a number of cases and also enjoyed the opportunity to engage with the community through policy work, press conferences, City Council meetings, and hearings. On my very first day I attended a small round table discussion on education with Mayor Nutter’s Chief Education Officer, Lori Shorr. Opportunities like this made my internship a truly hands-on experience. Not only did I find the work and events to be interesting, but I also found PILCOP to be an inspiring place to spend my time. The lawyers and staff are dedicated to helping the underserved members of our community, and are involved in the most worthy of causes. The welcoming environment and rewarding work made interning at PILCOP an educational, exciting, and worthwhile experience that I would recommend to anyone interested in law, public policy, or public service!"

--Amanda Ravich, University of Pennsylvania graduate, Harvard Law School, rising 1L – Spring 2011 Intern

“An internship at PILCOP is the ideal bridge between law school and professional life for students committed to public interest. Due to the nature of public interest law, there is always more work to do than there are people to do it, so interns at PILCOP play an integral role in making the office function. Every assignment I was given this summer was important, so I was never bored. In particular, I wrote briefs, interviewed clients, spoke with opposing council, and participated in a number of hearings and other legal matters. On multiple occasions I saw my work affect a case in a very real way, which was rewarding. On a personal level, working at PILCOP was a joy. The office functions as a cohesive unit, and each attorney is extremely intelligent, and accomplished. Everyone’s door is always open, which allows each legal issue to be met with a number of different perspectives. Furthermore, PILCOP is located at the heart of Center City, in a building surrounded by windows, which I have learned makes a huge difference when the hours pile up.”

--Joseph Goldshlack, Rising 3L, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

"Hi my name is Thereses Hudgins and I am a graduate of South Philadelphia High School. I have been assigned by Communities in Schools to do a summer internship at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia. Communities in Schools couldn’t have matched me up more perfectly. Everyone is so nice and have such an inviting vibe. I do a lot of things here; like sort out letters, make copies, and scan papers (a whole lot of paper)…If something needs to be organized I do it. Scanning papers doesn’t seem that exciting but it’s quite fascinating. Sometimes a take a peek at the closed cases and legal documents and can get a better feel for what this place is really about. This job is helping me for my future because it can make it clearer of what I want to study at Lock Haven University. I already feel enriched with the opportunity and this experience will enlighten me with things to come.”

-- Thereses Hudgins, South Philadelphia High 2010 Graduate, rising Lock Haven University freshman

"Hi my name is Sadae Canty I graduate from west Philadelphia High school at the top percent of my class. In August 2010 I will be attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania as a freshman. I will be major in pre-law and minor in education. That is why I’m have one of the most important experience of my life. I’m working at the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia as a summer intern…I was assigned this summer internship by a youth organization called Community in Schools/Teen Court. At this place my job is to help out the people who work here with whatever they need done...I know this Internship will open many more opportunities in need to make it in life. So I will take everything I learn here and use it in school as well as life. This internship will be a key to my success as I become a lawyer. I believe this because I want to become a defense Lawyer and help people get their equal rights. I also love the people here they make the environment so conformable and they always are smiling."

-- Sadae Canty,  West Philadelphia High 2010 graduate, rising Indiana University of Pennsylvania Freshman

"From my first week at the Law Center, I was writing briefs, working with clients, and integrated with the team. In my six short months, I learned more about the practice of law than I did in three years of law school. All the while, I represented those who stood powerless in the face of racial discrimination, unyielding bureaucracies, and outdated stereotypes. I couldn't recommend this fellowship any higher."

--Christopher Sousa, Georgetown 2009, Morrison & Foerster. 2009-2010 Deferred Associate Fellow

“What I like most about PILCOP is the attorney-client relationship. Because PILCOP chooses its clients as much as the clients choose PILCOP, our relationship with each other is all that more special. It is from this relationship, that the joy of working for PILCOP is manifested. We want our clients to succeed, not only because they are our clients, but also because we want them to achieve justice and equality as much as they do.”

--Harry Moseley, Harvard 2009, Weil Gottshal & Manges.  2009-2010 Deferred Associate Fellow

“As a fellow at PILCOP, I’ve been exposed to a wide range of legal issues. I’ve spent the majority of my time working in the Environmental Justice and Public Health program, where I’ve helped to represent low income and minority communities that are facing environmental risks. I attended many community meetings and learned a great deal about community organizing and grassroots mobilization. I really enjoyed working with our clients, most of whom are community groups trying to protect their neighborhoods from various types of pollution from industrial facilities. I also enjoyed working on several of the Law Center’s cases pertaining to disabilities law and race discrimination law in schools. I have been exposed to fascinating and complicated areas of law and have been given the opportunity to have direct involvement in strategy meetings, discovery issues, and legal research and writing. My fellowship at the Law Center has provided great training that I’m confident will prepare me in my legal career going forward.”

--Katherine C. Ottenweller, Columbia 2009, The Southern Environmental Law Center, 2009-2010 Fellow

"I had a wonderful experience at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia....I worked on several suits brought to enforce the rights to inclusive education granted by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I saw how great a difference skilled, passionate counsel can make in the lives of individual students—as well as how much good larger, institutional litigation can do. When I arrived at PILCOP, a forty-year-old school desegregation suit was drawing to a close. Originally brought to force the school district to integrate, the suit became a battle over the educational quality of majority minority schools. The settlement committed the district to wide-ranging and much-needed reforms....The PILCOP lawyers were generous mentors, always willing to discuss my assignments and to include me in conversations about their own work."

--- James Bickford, Rising 2L, Harvard Law School, 2009 Summer Intern

"Interning at PILCOP has provided excellent exposure to the world of public interest law. The lawyers here are dedicated and talented, and they are very willing to involve interns in every facet of their work. I had the opportunity to draft a complaint, speak to clients, craft litigation strategies, co-author an article published in a legal newspaper, and research a variety of civil rights topics. I also got to attend depositions, hearings, meetings, and rallies. I am leaving with great experiences and connections. I could not recommend PILCOP any more highly."

----Katie Poynter, Rising 3L, Columbia Law School, 2009 Summer Intern

"My time as an intern at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia was a wonderful experience. The Seventh floor hallways of the ninth street building exert a warmth and energy that is focused towards an honorable goal of “equal justice for all.” The attorneys work closely with the interns integrating work in the office with excursions to courtrooms, the Capitol, and wherever else we can witness the products of our work. For example, I was fortunate enough to witness the culmination of a 39-year-old school desegregation case as well as attend a meeting and demonstration in Harrisburg. The older interns guided the younger ones in the office, as well as showing us the best lunch spots in the afternoon. Adding to this feeling of an integrated group, the Executive Director established a tone of mutual aid, friendliness and teamwork. I cannot stress enough the warm memories I have of the people on that Seventh Floor and the wonderful balance of enjoyment and dedication. As far as the work that I was exposed to, I cannot label it as just work. I felt that I was contributing to a worthy cause as well as immersing myself in an educational experience in law, disability rights and education reform. I was happily surprised at how quickly the interns were able to work on projects that were not merely time-consuming activities. I was also surprised, in a good way, of how everyone did everything. My last day interning was one of my most memorable as attorneys, volunteers, interns, the Executive Director, paralegals, and the secretary all worked together in the main room preparing for the 40th Anniversary Symposium. ..I would recommend interning with PILCOP to anyone interested with issues of social justice who enjoys a great work atmosphere and who is looking to spend time on meaningful tasks and projects." 

--Elias Kohn, Rising Sophmore at USC, 2009 Summer Intern

"Just a couple of short months after the Supreme Court handed down its decision in two school desegregation cases, I was researching the impact Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District would have on the desegregation efforts of the Philadelphia school system. Towards the end of the summer, I worked long hours to represent students challenging public transportation fare increases, claiming that the transportation authority had not analyzed the disproportionate impact the fare hike would have on minorities, low-income families, and students. During the summer I found many more general advantages to working in Philadelphia...Perhaps my most important discovery, as cheesy as it may sound, was the immense satisfaction I gained from making a contribution to the community in which I was raised. My clients' problems simply would not have hit so close to home had I been working in a larger, unfamiliar city."
---Dina Awerbuch, Harvard Law School 3L, 2007 Summer Intern

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