Arthur D. Hellman Undergraduate Fellowship in Public Interest Law - Summer 2026

The Institute for Justice seeks highly motivated rising junior and senior undergraduate students interested in the legal field to intern at IJ as Arthur D. Hellman Undergraduate Fellows in Public Interest Law. This program is named after Arthur D. Hellman, Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and one of the nation’s leading academic authorities on the federal courts as well as an expert and author on the First Amendment. We are honored to bestow his name on the next generation of litigators for liberty. 

The Arthur D. Hellman Undergraduate Fellowship in Public Interest Law is an unparalleled opportunity to gain exposure to the inner workings of a leading national public interest law firm before entering law school. Fellows receive substantive projects throughout their time at IJ and work full time alongside our summer law students at IJ’s headquarters in Arlington, VA. Fellows are invited to participate in all of the summer programming and activities offered to the law students. 

Past Fellows have worked on a variety of assignments in support of IJ’s litigation. Past assignments have included: 

• Assisting with searches for potential cases to challenge unjust occupational licenses in various states. 

• Contacting customers of “Tiny Home” manufacturers to see if they've been prevented from building their homes and using their land as they wish due to unconstitutional zoning regulations and minimum square footage requirements. 

• Conducting research and writing memos for the attorneys on state laws that allow police to conduct warrantless searches on private property simply because it’s not right next to a house. 

• Collaborating with attorneys on sending Freedom of Information requests when government agencies fail to come clean on how they enforce laws against citizens. 

Our summer internship program is a paid opportunity, offering a $7,000 stipend for the 10-week program, and generally runs from early June through early August. Rising juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply. 

IJ is an equal opportunity employer.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At IJ we value a diverse workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

To learn more about our culture and benefits, visit our Working at IJ page. No phone calls please.

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