Summer Position? It Will Cost You.

Rocked by dwindling donations and emboldened by the dismal job market, many public interest legal entities have decided to get fiscally creative in advance of the 2009 summer job season. With numerous law students no longer able to count on summer positions at law firms, the previously neglected public interest internship has become a prized possession. Sensing an opportune moment to gain an infusion of new funds, agencies such as Legal Aid and the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society have decided to add an admission fee to their summer programs.

“While we pride ourselves on providing legal services for free, we have never been committed to the idea of giving people a free boost to their legal careers,” explained Elizabeth Sundry, the Director of Manhattan’s Elder Law Clinic. “Our best lawyers come to us because they are passionate about our agency’s mission. With this year’s implementation of a $250/week admission fee for summer interns, we decided to ask our summer interns to put their money where their mouths are. It’s the smartest thing we’ve done since asking some of our wealthier clients to start writing the agency into their wills.”

Generally, law students seem unfazed by this change. “You have to put this in perspective,” explained Talia Bindry, a first year law student at Columbia Law School. “I was prepared to sacrifice my well-being and social life to take a job at a big firm. Now that those opportunities are drying up, I don’t see a problem with pumping out a couple hundred bucks a week this summer to increase my chances of landing an underpaid position at one of these agencies after I graduate. I think the admission fee may even be tax deductible which would be awesome if I had any income.”

Unfortunately for Bindry, she is soon going to find out that the admission charge is just the tip of the iceberg. Like veritable amusement parks, pro-bono agencies have adopted a pay-to-play model. Reportedly, summer interns will be required to swipe a credit card for access to the internet, bathroom and vending machines. Depending on the program, interns may even be required to provide their own office supplies. Even the instant coffee is likely to require an instant donation of a dollar per cup. Will big law follow suit with its summer associate programs? Stay tuned.