Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

The Audrey Irmas Gender Justice Project (GJP), was launched in May 2017 with a generous grant from the Audrey Irmas Foundation for Social Justice. The mission of our project is to advance equality, justice and economic opportunity for low-income women and gender expansive individuals through a combination of direct legal services, policy advocacy, impact litigation, and community education. To date, GJP has focused its legal services in the areas of workplace rights and Title IX claims. GJP’s direct services include a weekly workplace rights advice clinic, brief representation matters, administrative claims, and civil lawsuits. To date, we have assisted clients with discrimination claims based on sex, race, national origin, gender identity/expression, disability, and pregnancy; sexual harassment; sexual assault; labor and sex trafficking; job misclassification; benefits claims; leave issues; and wage theft.

 Most of our clients are people of color working at or just above the minimum wage in health services, domestic work, janitorial services, retail, restaurants and entertainment. 

What do student interns do in GJP? 

Students will assist GJP staff with legal research and writing, conducting intakes, and other assignments to support our representation of clients in gender equity and workplace justice litigation and administrative proceedings. Students may also assist GJP staff with developing and presenting Know Your Rights materials to support our community education efforts. 

To apply for a summer internship with GJP, please submit two PDFs, one containing your cover letter and the other containing your resume (and a transcript, if available).

In your cover letter, discuss why you are interested in interning with Public Counsel generally and with GJP specifically. Note that we are especially interested in receiving applications from historically underrepresented students consistent with our active, ongoing commitment to increasing equity and inclusion, and that we value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider addressing these topics in your cover letter, especially if not reflected in your resume.

If you also would like to be considered for a summer internship with another project at Public Counsel (Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights and Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, or Opportunity Under Law), please submit a separate application to that project. Note, however, that we can hire you to work with only one project during summer 2025. 

We strongly encourage you to submit your application no later than February 1, 2025.