ABA’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Program: 1Ls and 2Ls
The American Bar Association Litigation Section is a place where law students become engaged in the legal profession. One example of our work is the Section’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP). JIOP is a summer internship program open to all first- and second-year law students. JIOP supports the ABA goal of eliminating bias and advancing diversity in the legal profession. All students are welcome to apply.
Selected students intern for six weeks or more during the summer with a participating state or federal judge. The program makes available a monetary award to each selected student. Students can also elect law school credit.
We will begin accepting Summer 2026 applications for all students on November 3, 2025. The deadline for applying is January 9, 2026. Last year, we offered internships to 156 law students representing 51 different law schools in locations throughout the country.
Please pass program information on to your interested students, including a program description and frequently asked questions. The program application and detailed program information are on the JIOP website at ambar.org/jiop. Applications are only accepted electronically through the JIOP website. Contact JIOP Program Director Gail Howard with questions at gail.howard@americanbar.org or (312) 988-6348.
Please encourage your students to apply early. Screening interviews are guaranteed for the first 500 applicants. Other students will be screened on an as-needed basis. Last year’s program had more than 830 applications.
Membership in the ABA and Litigation Section is free for law students. Students can join at ambar.org/ltjoin (or by calling 800-285-2221) for access to the Section’s multimedia resources, professional development opportunities, and content from our 34 practice-specific committees. Learn more at ambar.org/litigation.
Our former JIOP participants are happy to share their experience with your students. Please let us know if there is an opportunity for one of our alums to speak at an event by contacting Gail Howard (gail.howard@americanbar.org).
