Internship and Volunteer Opportunities

Updated 05-20-10

Thank you for your interest in applying for an internship and/or volunteer position with California Lawyers for the Arts. Internships at California Lawyers for the Arts are unpaid -- but we can provide an opportunity for you to attain credits through your institution. Please review the information below and please use this downloadable Application Form (.pdf file). Send your application form by FAX, email, or regular mail to the address noted below. In addition to the Application Form please include a copy of your current resume and any other relevant materials.

LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE INTERNSHIPS

Time Commitment:  Full-time preferred, but if part-time then 20+ hours over at least 3 days per week.

Program Description:  LRS is a service that refers clients to members of our attorney panel for consultation on a wide variety of arts-related matters such as copyright and trademark protection, contract review and negotiation, business partnerships and nonprofit incorporation, etc.

Duties: Interns will interview clients (mostly over the phone) and will perform case intakes.  Interns will draft a brief legal memorandum to attorneys presenting the legal issues and relevant facts of each case.  Interns will then locate and select appropriate attorneys for each case.

Supervision:  Northern CA LRS interns will be supervised directly by Bob Pimm, Chief Learning Officer and Director of Legal Services. Southern CA interns will be supervised by Karala Jenkins-Turner, Associate Director and Director of Legal Services.  As interns become more comfortable with the service, they will be able to "run the desk" on their own.

Benefits to Interns:  Interns will spend most of their time on the phone with clients and attorneys.  Interns will learn to issue spot, interview clients and communicate legal issues clearly and succinctly to attorneys.

The LRS program will help law students learn about the practical day-to-day legal issues facing a wide range of creative artists, the "jargon" of the arts and entertainment law practice, and also about the professionals performing services for artists throughout the Bay Area.  Interns will gain practical knowledge about how legal disputes and issues are handled in a "real world" setting.  The internship is also an invaluable networking opportunity in a profession that is extremely relationship-driven.

California Lawyers for the Arts is a relaxed, fun place to work and it gives law students a chance to use their talents to help an under-served, under-funded and often legally unsophisticated population.  Recent years in the Bay Area have been tough on the creative arts and entertainment communities.  More than ever, artists and arts organizations need the help of bright, motivated advocates.