Summer Legal Intern

Job Description

National Health Law Program’s Summer 2026 Legal Internships

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) will host up to six paid legal interns during the Summer of 2026, with the positions divided among NHeLP's three offices in Washington, D.C.; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California. Summer internships are fully remote and generally involve a 40 hour per week commitment for 10 weeks.

Our summer internships are made possible thanks to the support of the following programs:

Emily Spitzer Summer Internship: Established in honor of NHeLP’s former Executive Director Emily Spitzer.

Open Horizon Health Justice Internship: Made possible by the generous support of the Open Horizon, a foundation working to improve lives, expand learning, and develop leadership skills.

About the National Health Law Program

Founded in 1969, NHeLP is a national nonprofit that protects and advances the health rights of low-income and underserved individuals and families. We work to enhance equitable access to quality health care and protect the legal rights of those we serve through advocacy, education, and litigation at the federal and state levels.

NHeLP engages in national, state, and local advocacy efforts, ranging from complex analyses of federal and state laws, policy lawyering and advocacy, litigation, and individual technical support. We work with lawyers and advocates, community-based organizations, federal and state policy makers, health care providers, and impacted individuals and families.

NHeLP is committed to health equity—ensuring that everyone has access to the resources they need to be healthy—and to cultivating an internal environment that empowers an exceptional and diverse staff. Please read NHeLP’s Equity Stance to learn more about our organization and priorities.

NHeLP has three offices, which regularly collaborate:

Los Angeles, California - Focused on state policy, administrative and legislative advocacy, and litigation

Washington, D.C. - Focused on federal policy, administrative and legislative advocacy, and litigation support

Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Focused on litigation and administrative advocacy

As an intern, you will primarily work with one office, while also having the opportunity to work with advocates and attorneys across the organization. Please specify for which office(s) you are seeking placement (see How to Apply below). For example, if your interest is primarily litigation, NHeLP’s North Carolina office would be the best fit.

Intern Qualifications

NHeLP seeks law students who will be between their second and third years of law school during Summer 2026 (i.e., “rising 3Ls”). We give priority to students who have a demonstrated commitment to public interest work, public health, and/or poverty law, as well as an interest in working toward the expansion and protection of health care access for low-income and underserved populations.

Intern Responsibilities

Interns will develop a broad understanding of the health care issues facing low-income and underserved communities and gain exposure to a variety of advocacy methods that may be used to resolve them. Under the mentorship and supervision of NHeLP attorneys and policy analysts, interns may do any of the following:

Contribute to analysis and development of health care policy, particularly with regard to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act;

Research novel areas of health law and draft legal and policy memoranda and publications;

Assist in responding to requests for legal and policy analysis from advocates around the country; and

Gain exposure to high impact litigation and/or policy analysis.

Specific examples of past internship assignments include:

Drafting comments on federal regulations and state Medicaid demonstration projects;

Monitoring and analyzing state and federal legislation;

Attending briefings and meetings with local, state and federal policy-makers;

Participating in state and national coalition strategy meetings;

Assisting with the production of substantive manuals, guides, and issue briefs for use by legal advocates;

Assisting with production of blog posts, presentations, and other materials for broader audiences, including policy makers and public health officials; and

Assisting with research and drafting of litigation materials for use in state and federal court proceedings.

Intern Compensation

Interns can receive up to $10,000 for 10 weeks of work. The specific amount will be determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration other funding that is available to the intern and any restrictions that are attached to it.

How to Apply

Qualified applicants should submit an application with a cover letter and resume on our careers page.

No phone calls please, except for reasonable accommodation requests. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at: or at or .

Applications must be received by October 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm PDT.

No phone calls please

Please note that our internships in Summer 2026 will be fully remote. We will not require anyone to come into the office. While you may have the opportunity to attend in-person meetings, hearings, or other gatherings, such events will be optional. NHeLP’s priority has always been, and continues to be, the health and safety of our staff, interns, and everyone with whom we work. Remote interns are expected to virtually attend their home office’s meetings, no matter their working time zone.

Reasonable Accommodations

If a reasonable accommodation is needed, contact .

Hybrid remote