Law Student Internships and Externships

The American Health Law Association is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy 501(c)(3) organization devoted to educating the legal community and health care industry about legal issues in the health care field. AHLA’s mission is to 1) enable its members to serve their clients more effectively; 2) produce the highest quality educational programs, products, and services concerning health law issues; and 3) serve as a public resource on selected health care legal issues. AHLA’s members practice health law in a variety of settings: private sector (e.g., law firms, consulting firms), government, academia, and in-house. They also represent a wide spectrum of the health industry, including physicians, hospitals and health systems, health maintenance organizations, health insurers, life sciences, managed care companies, nursing facilities, home care providers, and consumers.

ACADEMIC-YEAR EXTERNSHIP:

Important Note: AHLA’s externship is conducted on a fully remote basis. Please make sure your law school recognizes remote externships before applying. This externship is for academic credit only.

Duration of Externship:

An externship is for one semester or one quarter. In rare cases, an externship may be extended for an additional semester or quarter. Start and end dates are negotiable. The number of hours worked must meet your law school’s requirements for externships. Please check with your law school’s externship program director for details and requirements.

Qualifications:

• The student must be a current 3L at an ABA-accredited law school when the externship commences at the start of a new semester.
• The applicant’s academic, extracurricular, and/or community accomplishments must clearly demonstrate a long-standing and compelling interest in pursuing a career in health law.
• Education or experience in health law is required (i.e., completion of health law survey course, administrative law, other health law-related course/seminar, health law-related internship).
• Excellent writing, editing, research, and analytical skills required.
• The student must be able to devote 13-15 hours per week to the externship.

Duties:

• Work under the supervision of AHLA’s staff attorneys in AHLA’s publishing department. The student will conduct substantive legal research/writing and editing to support the creation of AHLA publications.
• Attend networking opportunities with other health law attorneys (arranged by AHLA) and take advantage of AHLA’s educational offerings.

Application Deadline for Externship:

If your law school operates on a semester system, the deadlines to apply are as follows:

• Fall Semester: First Monday in July
• Spring Semester: First Monday in November

If your law school operates on a quarter system, the deadlines to apply are as follows:

• Fall Quarter: First Monday in July
• Winter Quarter: First Monday in November
• Spring Quarter: First Monday in February

Please email your formal cover letter and resume to Katherine Miller at [email protected]rg. Please state in the subject line of your email “AHLA Externship.” Finalists will be contacted by phone within two weeks of the application deadline.

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SUMMER INTERNSHIP:

As part of our initiative to cultivate diversity among attorneys practicing health law, AHLA provides this 8-week summer-long internship for talented law students of minority/diverse backgrounds. A nominal stipend is provided for the internship.

Duration of Summer Internship:

• This fully remote eight-week internship begins after Memorial Day.
• The student must be able to devote a minimum of 20 hours per week to the internship.  

Qualifications:

• The student is of diverse/minority background.
• The student must be a rising 3L at an ABA-accredited law school when the summer internship begins in late May.
• Successful completion of at least one health law class is required (i.e., health law survey course, administrative law, or other health law-related course/seminar).
• The applicant’s academic, extracurricular, and/or community accomplishments must clearly demonstrate a long-standing and compelling interest in pursuing a career in health law.
• Excellent writing, editing, research, and analytical skills required.

Duties:

• Work under the supervision of AHLA’s staff attorneys in AHLA’s publishing department. The student will conduct substantive legal research/writing and editing to support the creation of AHLA publications.
• Attend networking opportunities with other health law attorneys (arranged by AHLA) and take advantage of AHLA’s educational offerings.
• Attend AHLA’s In-House Counsel Conference & Annual Meeting (all expenses are paid by AHLA).

Application Deadline for Summer Internship:

The application deadline is the first Monday in March. Email your formal cover letter and resume to Katherine Miller at [email protected]. Please state in the subject line of your email “AHLA Summer Internship.” Finalists will be contacted by phone within two weeks of the application deadline.