Interns & Fellows

Internships

Applications are open for CHLP Summer 2026 Legal Internships

CHLP provides substantive internships to law students with strong skills in legal analysis and writing. We are looking for students who are able to commit a minimum of 10 full-time weeks over the summer. To support this full-time work, we pay $20/hour based on a 35-hour week, but we encourage students to find their own funding, which may be more. CHLP will support interns’ efforts to secure funding and/or course credit. As part of the interview process, we may ask about potential funding opportunities. The hourly rate will be adjusted based on any outside funding secured by the intern.

As a national leader in HIV policy development, CHLP provides interns with the opportunity to work on the following projects:

—  Positive Justice Project: PJP is CHLP’s national campaign to end the criminalization of HIV and other stigmatized health conditions.  Our work is rooted in a Black feminist, harm reductionist, abolitionist politic and it informs how we do our work in collaboration with coalitions, organizations, and individuals to develop legal and policy support that is driven by the needs of local communities most impacted. Our work includes federal and state policy advocacy; resource creation; support of local advocates and attorneys working on HIV criminal cases; and education, organization, and mobilization of communities and policymakers throughout the United States.

— Team ATAC: Team ATAC (ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] to Attack Criminalization) challenges the actions of state and local governments enacting and implementing HIV criminalization laws, policies, and practices. These laws, policies, and practices discriminate against people living with HIV, in violation of the ADA, by subjecting them to increased criminal penalties, solely based on the person’s positive HIV status. CHLP’s work with Team ATAC includes building and advancing legal theories under the ADA, investigating the broader social and political context behind these discriminatory practices, filing administrative complaints, and supporting strategic litigation and legislative reform to challenge and change discriminatory laws, policies, and practices.

— Bodily Autonomy: CHLP also engages in cutting-edge work based in honoring and preserving the dignity and bodily autonomy of people targeted based on their health status/condition. This encompasses work ranging from collaborating with health departments in regards to Molecular HIV Surveillance and data privacy to supporting people living with HIV having access to an equitable full range of healthcare.

— Aging: CHLP’s Aging Initiative addresses the unique legal and policy issues faced by people living and aging with HIV. Through the initiative, CHLP examines how laws, policies, and practices shape the lives of people living and aging with HIV and translates that analysis into educational resources and advocacy support. This work includes developing educational resources, supporting advocacy efforts on issues such as civil confinement and sex offense registration, assisting state and local coalitions, and contributing analysis and content to CHLP publications and the HIV Policy Resource Bank.

JOB REQUIREMENTS: The applicant must be a law student with excellent analytical and writing skills and the ability to engage in thoughtful and thorough research independently. We are looking for students interested in creative advocacy, researching and writing about complex legal and policy issues, and working in partnership with members of diverse communities to achieve meaningful health law reform. A commitment to abolition, racial equity, anti-racism, gender justice, and economic justice, as well as to CHLP’s mission, vision, and values is strongly preferred. Experience in human rights — particularly the rights of LGBTQ+ people, women, Black and brown people, and/or youth — is strongly preferred. Rising 3Ls/4Ls are encouraged to apply. Rising 2Ls with strong qualifications will also be considered.

CHLP is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to advancing fairness, equality, and diversity in both its work and its workplace. We strongly encourage applications from all communities, including people of color; individuals with disabilities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons.

CHLP is a project of the National Center for Civic Innovation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by the Fund for the City of New York.
 

HOW TO APPLY
To apply for an internship, please send the following to [email protected] with the subject heading “Legal Internship Application”:

• Cover letter (please specify why you are interested in interning with CHLP)
• Resume
• Writing sample (5-10 pages) demonstrating legal research and analytical skills.

There is no application deadline, the position will be filled on a rolling basis. 
 

Fellowships

CHLP welcomes the opportunity to partner with a current law student, judicial clerk, or other eligible individual to develop a public interest fellowship such as an Equal Justice Works, Soros Justice, Skadden, or Liman Fellowship. A fellowship with CHLP affords an aspiring and gifted individual the opportunity to join our mission to reduce the impact of HIV on the most marginalized communities, support and increase the advocacy power and HIV expertise of attorneys, community members, and service providers, and advance policy initiatives that are grounded in and uphold social justice, science, and the public health.

If you are interested in developing a fellowship proposal with CHLP, send a brief statement outlining your proposed project along with a resume, transcript, writing sample, and contact information for three references to [email protected], with the subject line "Fellowship Proposal." Please indicate the fellowship for which you are seeking sponsorship as well as its application deadline in your email. To learn more about postgraduate fellowships, visit PSJD.org.

Past Interns & Fellows

Summer 2025  
Miryam Elshaer, David A. Clarke School of Law, University of the District of Columbia 
Ken Cavanaugh, Pritzker School of Law, Northwestern University 

Spring 2025  
Jacundo Ramos, University of Washington School of Public Health, Public Health Practicum Student

Summer 2024  
Lauren Kranzlin, New York Law School  
Ebony Upshaw, George Washington Law School

Summer 2023  
Iris Gao, CUNY School of Law  
Elisabeth Mayer, Brooklyn Law School

Summer 2022  
Thomas Barranca, New York Law School  
Mika D'Angelo, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Spring 2022  
Jaylen Thomas, Southern University Law Center

Summer 2021  
Krysta Colon, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University  
Phil Ross, University of Michigan Law School 

Fall 2020  
Nadya Kronis, Georgetown University Law Center

Summer 2020  
Katie Doman, Fordham University School of Law  
Crystal Harris, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Summer 2019  
Esther Lee, Vanderbilt Law School

Summer 2018  
Denise Go, Duke University School of Law

Summer 2017  
Emily Hosseini, Marquette University Law School

Summer 2016  
Mackenzie Brennan, St. John's University School of Law  
Aleaha Jones, Duke University School of Law

Fall 2015  
Sara Nassof, New York Law School  
Samantha Weiss, Brooklyn Law School

Summer 2014  
Dwayne K. Wright, Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law  
Juan Luis Rodriguez, Georgetown University School of Law

Spring 2014  
Matt Mikaelian, Adelphi University School of Social Work

Fall 2013  
Shoshana Golden, American University Washington College of Law

Summer 2013  
Jocelyn Greer, Columbia Law School  
Meagan McElroy, University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University

Fall 2012  
Gavin Myer, Northeastern University School of Law

Summer 2012  
Darcy Kues, University of Washington School of Law  
Christos Tsentas, Northeastern University School of Law

Summer 2011  
Nicky Barnett, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law  
Edward Xia, Columbia Law School

Spring 2011  
Kimberly Shindel, Fordham Law School

Fall 2010  
Lydia Devine, Fordham Law School

Summer 2010  
Joanna Cuevas Ingram, University of California, Davis, School of Law  
Daniel Faria, Columbia Law School

Spring 2010  
Peter Beauchamp, New York Law School

Fall 2009  
Genevieve Cohoon, Fordham Law School  
Bryan Hedlin, Fordham Law School

Summer 2009  
Cynthia Fernandez, New York University School of Law  
Lauren R.S. Mendonsa, University of San Diego School of Law  
Stephanie Staal, Brooklyn Law School

Spring 2009  
Marissa Bontempo, Brooklyn Law School

Summer 2008  
Katherine Chung, New York University School of Law  
Dana Delger, Columbia Law School

Fall 2007  
Monica Asher, Brooklyn Law School

Summer 2007  
Alex Espinoza, Fordham Law School

Spring 2007  
Chris Kibler, Brooklyn Law School

Fall 2006  
Claire Ruckert, Brooklyn Law School  
Breanne Breimeister, New York University

Summer 2006  
Kate Chaltain, Fordham Law School  
Mark Guest, St. Louis University School of Law

Spring 2006  
Elliot Turner, Brooklyn Law School