Job Description

CJI is seeking 2026 summer legal interns to support projects working in jurisdictions around the country on the development and implementation of policy and practice changes in adult and youth justice systems. The ideal candidate for this position is a self-starter that has an interest in data-driven policy development and nonpartisan technical assistance. Candidates must be able to work independently and possess strong communication skills. The ability to multi-task in a fast-paced and virtually based work environment is critical. Travel is an expected component of most of CJI’s projects and may be requested based on project need.
Duties / Responsibilities:
• Assist with documenting group processes, including strategic planning sessions, consensus building processes, and focus groups.
• Contribute to the development of presentations to varied audiences, including line staff, mid-managers, executives, and policymakers.
• Assist in producing policy reports, including narratives and graphics. Perform literature reviews using all available research methods and summarize findings.
• Research and summarize policies related to court process, corrections and community supervision, and present findings internally during team meetings.
• Identify and summarize statutes related to criminal procedure, criminal law and corrections.
• Copy-editing and fact-checking deliverables prior to publication.
• Working with the supervising attorney to draft court administrative orders, rules, agency regulations and statutes.
• Support efforts to evaluate policies and practices related to people involved in (and transitioning out of) the adult and youth justice systems, including preparing for stakeholder interviews, conducting desk research on specific topics, and compiling and summarizing other public sources.
• Provide general administrative support to projects, including taking meeting notes; document and materials preparation; information tracking; and other duties as assigned by the project lead.
Knowledge / Skills / Experience Required:
• Ability to synthesize and summarize large amounts of information in a clear and concise manner.
• Proficient in legal research methods and software (e.g. Lexis, Westlaw)
• Ability to identify the appropriate sources to evaluate justice system policies.
• Possess high standards regarding work quality.
• Ability to interact with a variety of people, both in-person and virtually, in a professional and collaborative manner.
• Ability to coordinate and respond to multiple priorities with tight deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a team.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Products: Word, Excel, and Power Point, Access, Publisher.
Requirements:
• This internship is available to law students.
• Preference will be given to candidates with work experience, coursework, or internships in criminal and/or juvenile justice, law, policy, administration, and research.