Summer Rural Summer Legal Corps Student Fellow

Overview

It is the policy of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri to seek and employ persons, and provide equal opportunities in all aspects of employment, regardless of race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, disability, sexual orientation, status as a veteran, and other personal characteristics or relationships, or any other consideration prohibited by law.

Eligible employees are offered a generous benefit package including paid time off, health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, a 403b tax deferred annuity plan, a profit sharing plan and certain paid memberships in professional organizations.

If you are attracted to a mission driven organization committed to providing holistic civil legal assistance for low-income people, Legal Services is the place for you!

Summer 2026 Rural Summer Legal Corps Student Fellow (paid) — Union, MO or Hannibal Office. Two paid internships through Equal Justice Works Rural Summer Legal Corps program. Each internship includes a $7,000 stipend and requires 300 hours of service and mandatory training in Washington, D.C. One internship is located in Hannibal, Missouri and the other is in Union, Missouri.

LSEM seeks Rural Summer Legal Corps Student Fellows to support direct civil legal services and community outreach in rural Missouri, through our Union and Hannibal offices. Fellows will work under close attorney supervision on matters affecting rural residents with low incomes, including housing, family law, consumer issues, public benefits, and access-to-justice initiatives.

Low-income residents in rural Missouri face disproportionate barriers to accessing legal assistance and essential services. Clients frequently encounter limited transportation options, shortages of healthcare and behavioral or mental health providers, scarcity of shelters and transitional housing, and fewer employment and educational opportunities. As a result, legal issues involving housing instability, consumer debt and fraud, family law matters, and estate planning often go unaddressed, leading to cascading harms for individuals and families.

Female heads of household and elderly residents are particularly overrepresented among those seeking legal assistance, as they are more likely to experience housing insecurity, fixed or limited incomes, caregiving burdens, and barriers to mobility.

Through this project, Fellows will help bridge the justice gap by delivering direct legal services and community education to rural residents who would otherwise have little or no access to legal representation.

LSEM is a nonprofit law firm providing free, quality civil legal services to people living with low income and limited opportunity. LSEM advances justice through legal representation, education, and supportive services. We partner with the community to improve lives, promote fairness, and create opportunities for those in need. Since 1956, LSEM has provided high-quality civil legal assistance and equal access to justice for low-income people in 21 counties in Missouri.

We accomplish our mission through systemic advocacy/impact litigation and individual case work in a wide range of substantive civil areas which are in our priorities, e.g., family law for victims of domestic violence, prevention of homelessness/housing, health, public benefits, consumer, education, disability, community economic development, and immigration. As part of our community education/outreach efforts, LSEM works with over 150 agencies and participates in over 35 task forces/coalitions and has a vibrant Volunteer Lawyers Program.

• Shadow attorneys in court and administrative proceedings
• Conduct client intake and interviews
• Perform legal research and writing
• Draft pleadings, motions, affidavits, and discovery
• Assist with community education and outreach
• Support systemic advocacy and capacity-building projects

• Required: Completed at least one year of law school
• Enrollment at an Equal Justice Works member law school
• Strong interest in public interest and…