Law Student Internship: Summer 2026
Posted: October 15, 2025
About This Opportunity
The Pennsylvania Health Law Project (PHLP) invites passionate law students to join our team for a summer internship in 2026. This hybrid position is based in either our Philadelphia or Pittsburgh office (please indicate your preferred location when applying).
What You’ll Do
As a PHLP summer intern, your work will include:
- Client Advocacy: Interviewing clients and managing a caseload of Medicaid eligibility and service denial cases under the supervision of a Staff Attorney; collaborating with attorneys and paralegals on case preparation and legal research
- Administrative Hearing Experience: Assisting with preparation for and observing Medicaid appeal proceedings, including grievances and state Fair Hearings.
- Policy Work: A chance to witness and support statewide and national health policy advocacy projects at a pivotal time in the fight for healthcare access
- Legal Research: Conducting legal and policy research that informs both individual casework and broader advocacy efforts
Who Should Apply
We seek current law students who will have completed their first or second year of law school by summer 2026. This is a full-time, 10-week internship that typically runs from late May/early June to late July/early August. The successful candidate will demonstrate the following qualities and/or commitments:
- Deep commitment to PHLP’s mission of preserving and improving access to healthcare for all Pennsylvanians
- Initiative: a self-starter who can work independently without strict oversight
- Strong communication skills, both written and oral
- Cultural humility & respect: Excellence in building rapport with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, recognizing clients as experts in their own lives
- Demonstrated interest in or commitment to public interest work and using the law as a tool for social justice
PHLP is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and life experiences, especially those who have personal or lived experience with Medicaid or other public benefits programs. In your cover letter, we encourage you to share how your unique background and/or experiences would contribute to your work and our organization.
Our Mission and Vision
PHLP works to advance health care rights for individuals from historically underserved and marginalized communities. By providing free legal services and engaging in community education and systemic advocacy, we strive to ensure equitable access to healthcare, empowering people to navigate complex health systems and get the care they need.
Our vision is a Pennsylvania where every individual, regardless of their background or circumstances, has equal access to comprehensive healthcare and is fully supported in understanding and exercising their legal rights in healthcare and public benefits systems. Through legal representation, policy advocacy, and community education and empowerment, we work to dismantle barriers to healthcare, challenge inequities in the system, and promote lasting policy changes that create a more equitable and inclusive healthcare landscape for all.
Compensation
Stipends of up to $7,500 are available for summer interns who do not have alternative sources of funding. The actual stipend amount will depend on PHLP’s available funding, alternative sources of funding available to the intern, and the number of interns seeking assistance. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for public interest summer fellowship and/or funding programs available through their law schools.
To Apply:
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and interviews are conducted through January 2026. To apply, please send (1) a cover letter; (2) a resume; and (3) at least two (2) references to the attention of Pamela Silver, Supervising Attorney, at hr@phlp.org.
