Work at NACUA

The National Association for College and University Attorneys (NACUA) is pleased to offer the National Higher Education Law Internship Program. The program provides law students with an opportunity to build valuable legal skills, professional experience, and an expanded body of knowledge in the field of higher education law, while learning about different areas of NACUA’s work, such as continuing legal education programming, external outreach and collaborations, association management, and more.

You’ll work at the nation’s premier higher education law association, advancing the effective practice of higher education attorneys for the benefit of the colleges and universities they serve. You’ll work with experienced, sophisticated attorneys and professionals on meaningful work regarding substantial legal issues and developments. You’ll get to test your interest in entering the dynamic world of higher education as a legal professional.

The National Association for College and University Attorneys (NACUA) is pleased to provide a pathway to a career in higher education law for new and recent law graduates through the NACUA Legal Fellowship. The fellowship provides a new lawyer with unparalleled access to the world of higher education law through a one-year full-time staff position with the country’s premier higher education law association.

Fellows directly contribute to NACUA’s mission, advancing the effective practice of higher education attorneys for the benefit of the colleges and universities they serve, by producing a highly visible and valued weekly member service, New Cases and Developments. That responsibility means that NACUA Legal Fellows are often the first to know about key legal, policy, and regulatory developments affecting the field.

You’ll work with experienced, sophisticated attorneys and professionals on meaningful work regarding substantial legal issues and developments, with a substantial emphasis on research, analysis, and producing and editing written work. Importantly, fellows will have opportunities to interact with and learn from the rich and diverse community of higher education attorneys representing colleges and universities before pursuing permanent opportunities to enter the dynamic world of higher education as a legal professional.

NACUA launches the fellowship hiring process in the winter by posting a position announcement and aims to complete the search and hiring process by late winter to early spring. The fellowship runs from late August through August 31 of the following year. Fellows are required to be located in the greater Washington, D.C. area during their term of employment and are expected to work at the NACUA office in Washington, D.C. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, which are the NACUA staff’s in-office core days. Fellows may work remotely in the D.C. area during the rest of the week or may choose to work from the NACUA office.

Qualifications & Expectations

Selected fellows must hold a recently awarded Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and must have taken a state bar examination by their start date, although they may be awaiting results. Fellows must demonstrate excellent legal research, analytical, writing, and communication skills as well as the ability to manage multiple tasks and assignments effectively. Fellows must demonstrate a strong commitment to NACUA’s core values. Past successful fellows have possessed all these skills and traits, complemented by law journal experience and genuine interest in working in the field of higher education law.

Application Process and Deadlines

Applicants should submit (1) a cover letter, (2) resume, and (3) legal writing sample sent via attachments in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word Document format to the email listed on the position announcement.

Given the large number of applications we receive, we encourage you to proofread your application to ensure it is accurate and free of grammatical or typographical errors.  

If you have questions regarding our internship program, please email jobs@nacua.org.