Washington College of Law logo
 
American University logo
Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property
Research and Advocacy Resources for Students

Public Interest and Externship Placement

Among the many advantages of studying law in Washington, D.C., is the opportunity to integrate practical experience with the theory of the classroom. At WCL, students find innumerable opportunities to gain valuable on-the-job experience by participating in our Supervised Externship Program. This program enables students to explore various career options and other facets of becoming a lawyer, providing direction and insight for their postgraduate legal careers. The fieldwork experience is enhanced by the close supervision from WCL faculty members through externship seminars.

Students who receive academic credit for their unpaid legal work are engaged in externships. To receive academic credit, students must commit to working between 140 to 280 hours over the course of the semester. The organizations and government agencies below offer public internest and externship placement:

ACLU- Privacy Project
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Contacts: Chris Hansen
Phone: 212-549-2606
Fax: 212-549-2651
E-mail: chansen@aclu.org

Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies
700 North Fairfax Street, Suite 601
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact: Bree Dietrich
Phone: 703-535-8101
Fax: 703-535-8105
E-mail: bdietrich@aarcroyalties.com

American Association for the Advancement of Science
Science, Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program
1200 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20005
Contact: Mark Frankel, Director
Phone: 202-326-6236
E-mail: sfrlinfo@aaas.org

American Association of University Professors: Legal Office
1012 14th St NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005
Contact: Rachel Levinson, Staff Counsel
Phone: 202-737-5900
Fax: 202-737-5526

American Library Association
1615 New Hampshire Ave, NW, First Floor
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-628-8410 or 800-941-8478
Contact: Miriam M. Nisbet, Legislative Counsel
Fax: 202-628-8419
E-mail: mnisbet@alawash.org

Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Legal Department
518 C Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-466-3234
Fax: 202-466-2587
Contact: Thelma Scott
E-mail: americansunited@au.org

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Washington Policy Office
1100 Seventeenth Street NW, Suite 507
Washington, DC 20036
Contacts: Cameron Wilson, Director
Phone: 202-659-9711
Fax: 202-667-1066
E-mail: cameron.wilson@acm.org

Association of Research Libraries
21 DuPont Circle NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
Contact: Prue Adler, Associate Executive Director
Phone: 202-296-2296
Fax: 202-872-0884
E-mail: prue@arl.org

Bernabei & Wachtel, PLLC
1775 T Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Sasha Sajovic
Phone: 202-745-1942 x246
Fax: 202-745-2627
E-mail: sajovic@bernabeipllc.com

Center for Digital Democracy
1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Jeff Chester, Executive Director
Phone: 202-986-2220
E-mail: jeff@democraticmedia.org

Center for Democracy and Technology
1634 Eye Street NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
Contact: Danielle Wiblemo
Phone: 202-637-9800
Fax: 202-637-0968
E-mail: dani@cdt.org

Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County
Chambers of the Honorable Paul Goetzke
Church Circle, P.O. Box 2395
Annapolis, MD 21404
Contact: Judge Goetzke
Phone: 410-222-1440

Communications Workers of America, Industrial Division
Legal Department
8th Floor, 501 3rd Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Contact: Ms. Alex Roe
Phone: 202-434-1214
Fax: 202-434-1219
E-mail: aroe@cwa-union.org

Computer and Communications Industry Association
900 17th Street, NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
Contact: Dan Johnson
Phone: 202-783-0070
Fax: 202-783-0534
E-mail: djohnson@ccianet.org

Consumer's Union
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
Contact: Ellen Bloom
Phone: 202-462-6262
Fax: 202-265-9548
E-mail: blooel@consumer.org

Consumer's Union
101 Truman Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10703-1057
Contact: Wendy Wintman
Phone: 914-378-2448

District of Columbia Public Library- Office of the General Counsel
901 G Street NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20001
Contact: Grace Perry-Gaiter, General Counsel
Phone: 202-727-1134
Fax: 202-442-6073
E-mail: grace.perry-gaiter@dc.gov

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
454 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-1914
http://www.eff.org/contact.html
Contact: Matt Zimmerman, Staff Attorney
Phone: 415-436-9333 x127
Fax: 415-436-9993
E-mail: mattz@eff.org

Electronic Privacy Information Center
1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Guilherme Roschke
Phone: 202-483-1140 x124
Fax: 202-483-1248
E-mail: roschke@epic.org

Essential Action
PO Box 19405
Washington, DC 20036
Contact: Robert Weissman, Director
Phone: 202-387-8030
Fax: 202-234-5176
E-mail: rob@essential.org

Federal Communications Commission- Telecommunications Division
445 12th Street SW, Room 4-A222
Washington, DC 20554
http://www.fcc.gov/internships/
Contact: Sharon D. Lee, Associate Division Chief
Phone: 202-418-7534
Fax: 202-418-2644
E-mail: sharon.lee@fcc.gov

Federal Communications Commission- Planning and Negotiations Division/International Bureau
445 12th Street SW, Room 8-C432
Washington, DC 20554
http://www.fcc.gov/internships/
Contact: Donna Christianson
Phone: 202-418-7326
Fax: 202-418-0398
E-mail: Donna.Christianson@fcc.gov

Federal Communications Commission- Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
http://www.fcc.gov/internships/
Contact: James Bachtell
Phone: 202-418-7400
Fax: 202-418-8188
E-mail: james.bachtell@fcc.gov

Federal Communications Commission- Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
445 12th Street SW, Suite 1A-130
Washington, DC 20554
http://www.fcc.gov/internships/
Contact: Bonita Tingley

Federal Communications Commission- Wire line Competition Bureau, Competition Policy Division
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
http://www.fcc.gov/internships/
Contact: Kirk Burgee
Phone: 202-418-1599
Email: kirk.burgee@fcc.gov

Future of Music Coalition
1615 L Street NW, Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036
www.futureofmusic.org
Phone: 202-822-2051

Holland & Knight LLP- Pro Bono Department
2099 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC 20006
Contact: Bonnie Coile
Phone: 202-457-7072
Fax: 202-955-5564
E-mail: bonnie.coile@hklaw.com

Indian Arts and Crafts Board
U.S. Department of Interior
1849 C. Street, NW
MS 2528-MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Contact: Michele Hill
Phone: 888-ART-FAKE
Fax: 202-208-5196

Information Technology Association of America
1401 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1100
Arlington, VA 22209
Contact: Joe Tasker, General Counsel
Phone: 703-284-5331
Fax: 703-522-0374
E-mail: jtasker@itaa.org

International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition
1725 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Contact: Nora Hart, Assistant Director
Phone: 202-223-6667
Fax: 202-223-6668
E-mail: nhart@iacc.org

International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
1126 16th St NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Contact: Rebecca See, Program Assistant
Phone: 202-452-8600
Fax: 202-452-8555
E-mail: rsee@icnl.org

International Intellectual Property Institute
1629 K St. NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006-1602
Contact: Molly Torsen, Vice President
Phone: 202-544-6610
Fax: 202-478-1955
E-mail: mtorsen@iipi.org

International Trade Commission
Office of the General Counsel
United States International Trade Commission
500 E St., SW
Washington, DC 20436
Contact: Mark B. Rees, Karl von Schriltz,
or James Worth
(202) 205-3061

Knowledge Ecology International
1621 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Dave Serafino
Phone: 202-332-2670 x14
E-mail: daveserafino@gmail.com

Library of Congress Congressional Research Service- American Law Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20540
Contact: Larry Eig, Head,
Business and Environmental Law section
Phone: 202-707-7896
Fax: 202-707-8596
E-mail: leig@crs.loc.gov

Media Access Project
1625 K St. NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20006
Main: 202-232-4300
Contact: Parul Desai, Associate Director
Fax: 202-466-7656
E-mail: pdesai@mediaaccess.org

MedStar Health, Inc.
MedStar Georgetown Medical Center, Inc.
Legal Services
2115 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 201
Washington, DC 20007
Contact: Alexander D. Eremia, Associate General Counsel
Phone: 202-444-4317
Fax: 202-444-6463
E-mail: alexander.d.eremia@medstar.net

Migrant Legal Action Program
1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 915
Washington, DC 20036
Contact: Roger Rosenthal, Executive Director
Phone: 202-775-7780
Fax: 202-775-7784
E-mail: mlap@mlap.org

Montgomery County Circuit Court
Chambers of the Honorable Thomas L. Craven
50 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850
Contact: Laura Dunn, Law Clerk to the Honorable
Thomas L. Craven
Phone: 240-777-9262

National Consumers League
1701 K Street N.W., Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20006
Fax: 202-835-0747
E-mail: jobs@nclnet.org
Internship postings on-line at http://www.nclnet.org/about/
employment.htm

National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
Program set-up, application on website- www.nga.gov
Internship phone: 202-842-6257
Internship fax: 202-842-6935
Internship e-mail: intern@nga.gov

National Endowment for the Arts
Office of the General Counsel
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Room 518
Washington, DC 20506
Contact: Karen Elias, Deputy General Counsel
Phone: 202-682-5418
Fax: 202-682-5572
E-mail: reynoldsk@arts.gov

National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585
Contact: Melissa Kessler
Internship Coordinator
Phone: 202-586-8514
Fax: 202-586-0419
E-mail: melissa.kessler@nnsa.doe.gov

Office of the Maryland Attorney General
Law Clerk Internship Program
200 Saint Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
Contact: Desi Panageotou
E-mail: dpanageotou@oag.state.md.us

Pro Bono Institute at Georgetown University
Law Center
600 New Jersey Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
Contact: Reena Glazer, Assistant Project Director
Law Firm Pro Bono Project
Phone: 202-662-9568
E-mail: rglazer@probonoinst.org

Public Knowledge
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20009
Fax: 202-986-2539
Contact: Ann Oliverio, Managing Director
Phone: 202-518-0020 x100
E-mail: aoliverio@publicknowledge.org
E-mail for internships: pk@publicknowledge.org

Recording Industry Association of America
1025 F St NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20004
Contact: John Hinkle
Phone: 202-775-0101
Fax: 202-775-7253

Red Cross
2025 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
Contact: Tinika Fails
Phone: 202-303-4978
E-mail: failst@usa.redcross.org

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1100
Arlington, VA 22209
Phone: 703-807-2100
Contact: Loren Cochran, Internship Coordinator

Smithsonian Institution
Office of General Counsel/Museum Programs
1000 Jefferson Dr., SW, Room 302
Washington, DC 20560
Contact: Farleigh Earhart, Deputy General Counsel
E-mail: earhartf@si.edu

SoundExchange, Inc.
1121 14th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
Contact: Yosia Farrington
E-mail: yfarrington@soundexchange.com

Student Press Law Center- no current legal internship opportunities
1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1100
Arlington, VA 22209
Contact: Sam Wilder
Phone: 703-807-1904
E-mail: splc@splc.org

Superior Court of Georgia, Eastern Judicial Circuit
Chambers of the Honorable Louisa Abbot
Chatham County Courthouse
133 Montgomery Street, Room 203
Savannah, GA 31401
Contact: Lisa Colbert, Staff Attorney
Phone: 912-652-7165
Fax: 912-652-7164
E-mail: LGColber@chathamcounty.org

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Chambers of Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy
3130 One Oxford Center
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Contact: Elizabeth Minnotte, Head Clerk
Phone: 412-565-2700
E-mail: betty.minnotte@pacourts.us

United Mine Workers of America
Legal Department
8315 Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22031
Contact: Judith Rivlin, Associate General Counsel
Phone: 703-208-7180
Fax: 703-208-7134
E-mail: jrivlin@umwa.org

United States Army Material Command
Office of General Counsel
9301 Chapek Rd.
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5527
Contact: Maria Marigny
Phone: 703-806-8700

United States Court of Federal Claims
Chambers of Chief Judge Edward J. Damich
717 Madison Place, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Contact: John Buckley, Chief of Staff
Phone: 202-357-6483
E-mail: john_buckley@ao.uscourts.gov

United States Department of Commerce
Office of the General Counsel- Executive Office
14th & Constitution Avenue, NW, room 5875
Washington, DC 20230
Contact: Paulo Mendes
Phone: 202-482-0490
Fax: 202-501-4695
E-mail: pmendes@boc.gov

United States Department of Defense
Office of General Counsel, Standards of Conduct Office
1600 Defense Pentagon, Room 3D941
Washington, DC 20301
Contact: Jeffrey Green, Senior Attorney
Phone: 703-695-3272
Fax: 703-697-1640
E-mail: greenj@dodgc.osd.mil

United States Department of Homeland Security
Online Application information at
http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/
careers/gc_1168032414916.shtm

United States Department of Justice
Office of Special Investigations
Tenth and Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20530
Attn: Internship Coordinator

United States Department of Justice
Civil Division
PO Box 14660, Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044-4660
Contact: Meghan Killiany, Intern Coordinator
Phone: 202-307-0261
Fax: 202-514-7968
E-mail: Civil.personnel@usdoj.gov (highly preferred for applications)

United States Department of Justice
Antitrust Division
601 D Street NW, Suite 1213
Washington, DC 20530
Contact: Edward Law
Phone: 202-514-2469
Fax: 202-514-0580
E-mail: ATR.PERSONNEL@USDOJ.GOV (preferred for applications)

United States Department of Justice
Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section
1301 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
Contact: Scott Eltringham, Trial Attorney
Phone: 202-514-1026
Fax: 202-514-6113
E-mail: scott.eltringham@usdoj.gov

United States Department of Justice
Criminal Enforcement Sections; Tax Division
P.O. Box 813, Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044
Attn: Summer Intern Coordinator
Phone: 202-616-2774

United States Department of Justice
Office of Communications
810 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531
Contact: Deborah Sheetz, Intern Coordinator
Phone: 202-514-9338
Fax: 202-514-5958
E-mail: deborah.sheetz@usdoj.gov

United States Department of Labor
Office of the Solicitor; Mine Safety and Health
1100 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209
Contact: Chris Schumann, Appellate Counsel
Phone: 202-693-9350
Fax: 202-693-9361
E-mail: Schumann.Walter@dol.gov

United States Department of State
Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Private International Law
2430 E. Street NW, Suite 356, South Building
Washington, DC 20520
Contact: Trisha Smeltzer
Phone: 202-776-8420
Fax: 202-776-8482
E-mail: smeltzertk@state.gov

United States Department of Treasury
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20220
Contact: Greg Wieinman, Senior Legal Counsel
Phone: 202-354-7407
Fax: 202-756-6525
E-mail: gweinman@usmint.treas.gov

United States District Court
Chambers of the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee
Eastern District of Virginia
401 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314-5799
Contact: Judge Gerald Bruce Lee
Phone: 703-299-2117
Fax: 703-299-3339
E-mail: gbleeus@yahoo.com

United States House of Representatives
Judiciary Committee
Rayburn House Office Building 2142
Washington, DC 20515
Contact: Lilian German, Minority Counsel
Phone: 202-225-6504

United States International Trade Commission
Office of Unfair Import Investigations
500 E Street SW, Suite 401
Washington, DC 20436
Contact: Thomas Fusco
Phone: 202-205-2571
Fax: 202-205-2158
E-mail: thomas.fusco@usitc.gov

United States Patent and Trademark Office
Office of the General Counsel
Madison West, 8th Floor, 600 Dulaney Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Advertises on Job Search and usually gets contacted by the Department of Commerce
Contact at the Department of Commerce: Megan Grimes
E-mail: mgrimes@doc.gov

United States Patent and Trademark Office
Law Student Intern Program- Trademarks
600 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact: Brett Golden
Phone: 571-272-9257

United States Patent and Trademark Office
Copyright Office- General Counsel's Office
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540
Contact: Tanya Sandros
Phone: 202-707-8380
Fax: 202-707-8366
E-mail: tsan@loc.gov

United States Patent and Trademark Office
Office of the Solicitor
600 Dulany Street, Madison Building West
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact: Mary Kelly, Associate Solicitor
Phone: 571-272-9035
E-mail: mary.kelly@uspd.gov

United States Patent and Trademark Office
Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313
Contact: Adrian Hanlon
Phone: 571-272-9797
E-mail: 571-273-0052

United States Senate
Committee on the Judiciary, Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights Subcommittee
Office of Senator Sam Brownback
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1604
Contact: Sam Arif
Phone: 202-224-6521
Fax: 202-228-1265

Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts
901 New York Avenue, NW, Suite P1
Washington, DC 20001
CURRENTLY NO INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE
Contact: John Lowe, Director Legal Services
Phone: 202-289-4440
Fax: 202-289-4985
E-mail: legalservices@thewala.org

Zero to Three- National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
2000 M Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
Contact: Michelle Green, Chief Development and Communications Office
Phone: 202-857-2600
E-mail: mmgreen@zerotothree.org

 
Washington College of Law  -  4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW  -  Washington, DC 20016  -  202-274-4000