Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) seeks a legal intern that is interested in growing their skills to create impact in the community development financial institutions (CDFIs) industry. In this role, the successful candidate will assist the EVP-General Counsel by conducting legal research, reviewing documents, and writing memoranda on a range of topics, including non-profit law, federal regulations, and court decisions.   Successful applicants can expect an educational focus in their assignments and will leave the internship with increased knowledge of non-profits, community development financial institutions, and with a writing sample that they can use after the internship ends. We are accepting applications from exceptional first- and second-year law students with a background and/or interest in community development, nonprofit law, and federal regulations.

OFN is the nation’s leading investment intermediary and network for CDFIs serving rural, urban, and Native communities across the United States. With over $1 billion in total assets under management, OFN manages a national membership network of over 470 mission-driven lenders and CDFIs, including community development loan funds, credit unions, green banks, community development banks, minority depository institutions, and venture capital funds. OFN is a trusted investment partner to the public, private, and philanthropic sectors – foundations, corporations, banks, government agencies, and others. For more than 30 years, our team has helped partners invest in communities to catalyze change and create economic opportunities for people and places traditional finance doesn’t reach.

To learn more, visit www.ofn.org 

 People who work at OFN come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. If you have:

• Passion for the mission and true believer in our core purpose.
• Courage to be a fearless advocate who is confident and resilient in our fight to drive capital into low-income communities.
• Smart, quick seekers of knowledge who thrive on creating and developing new strategies, products, and programs for increasing capital to communities we serve.
• Desire to be a collaborative team player who possesses humility and a willingness to lean in all areas of our work.

Come be a part of our growing diverse, highly committed, skilled, and collaborative staff. At OFN, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply nonetheless. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

This position is based in Washington, D.C. All staff currently work a hybrid schedule. 

Core Responsibilities: 

• Conduct in-depth legal research on non-profit law, federal regulations, and court decisions.
• Summarize and analyze non-profit law (formation, governance), federal regulations (agency rules), and court decisions (case analysis). and provide timely updates to the team.
• Assist in preparing briefing materials, reports, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders. 
• Assist in the organization of meetings, events, and legal briefings.

Qualifications:  

• Currently enrolled in law school  
• Strong research and analytical skills.  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment. 
• Unwavering attention to detail and ownership of work.  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with document management systems, case management software, and legal research platforms is a plus.  

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Physical Requirements:

• Must possess a passion for, understanding of, and commitment to OFN’s mission. 
• In addition, be a fearless advocate, who is confident and resilient in pursuit of OFN’s work to provide capital to low-income communities across the country.
• A collaborative team player who possesses the ability to work across all levels of the organization both internally and externally, with appropriate humility, and a willingness to learn in all areas of our work. 
• Be a strong team contributor, effective and comfortable in leading as well as supporting roles within teams.
• Possess a work style that emphasizes the value of collaboration, communication, service, transparency, teamwork, and accountability.
• Possess high initiative and self-starting capabilities; the demonstrated ability to identify and seize opportunities for impact in sometimes difficult, uncertain contexts.
• Outstanding written, oral, and interpersonal communications skills.
• Superior customer service and relationship building skills.
• Excellent organizational/time management skills required to independently manage multiple tasks and prioritize work on diverse assignments with strong attention to detail in a fast-paced setting in an effective and efficient      manner.
• An ability to work well with different constituents is required.

Work Environment 

• Standard physical requirements for an office position, with limited travel (<5% of time). 

***This paid internship will be approximately 32- 40 hours per week. The internship will run from the end of May through August 2025 with the possibility of continuation into the 2025-2026 academic year.  Candidates seeking to split their summer with another opportunity are welcome.  *** 

EOE/V 

Supervisor: Executive Vice President, General Counsel 

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume and a short writing sample (no more than 7 pages), and your law school transcript.

Your cover letter should highlight any relevant prior work experience, course work, or extracurricular activities.  If you are seeking law school credit, or a law school or 3rd party stipend for your summer work, please include information regarding the criteria that you and OFN must meet for such a program.