Serving Clients in the Second Circuit and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York

Investigator-Interns

Internship Announcement for:
Investigation Summer Internship—Unpaid & In-person
Eligibility: Undergraduate & Graduate Students, and Recent College Graduates
Application Deadline: January 30, 2026

Federal Defenders of New York (FDNY) is currently accepting applications for summer Investigative Interns to work in our Investigative Unit within our offices located in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York (EDNY and SDNY). Candidates selected for this role may be placed in EDNY (Brooklyn and Central Islip) or SDNY (Manhattan and White Plains) for a duration of 10 weeks. This internship is available to recent graduates, as well as active graduate and undergraduate students alike, allowing all students to obtain valuable work experience and exposure for those who are interested in the areas of criminal defense law, direct service, social work and social justice.

Who are we?

FDNY is a community defender organization that provides legal representation to indigent persons accused of federal crimes in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. It is our mission to provide the highest-quality representation to our clients by drawing upon the collective skill, dedication, and passion of our team. As an organization, we strongly believe in collaboration, and that is what allows us to show up at our best to defend indigent persons who have been charged with federal crimes—free of cost. The majority of the clients we serve come from underprivileged and marginalized communities.

FDNY is a nonprofit organization, independent from the Judiciary, that is committed to equal justice and fights vigorously for those who have been accused of crimes. We believe that what we do matters. That is why we subscribe to a client-centered approach to legal representation. As an agency, we are a collective of information technology specialists, interpreters, investigators, lawyers, paralegals, social workers, as well as other experts and administrative support staff. Recognizing the frequent injustices within the legal system, we use our positional privilege to not only fight for our clients as individuals, but also as an opportunity to advocate for public policies that will benefit our clients in creating meaningful and much-needed changes within the system.

About the role: Investigator Intern duties & responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Chief Investigator, summer interns will work as a part of the legal team to represent clients accused of federal crimes. Caseloads may be comprised of, but are not limited to terrorism, drug trafficking, firearm possession, fraud, immigration-related offenses, and internet-related crimes.

For this role no prior experience is required, as training will be provided. Although your days as an intern will vary, the primary responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Assisting with completing reports and correspondence for courts and other stakeholders

  • Review and analysis of police reports, digital forensics, social media research, open-source research, as well as analyze and create discovery indexes and digests.

  • Help case teams plan strategies, prep for trials & hearings, and attend court proceedings.

  • Obtain court records, witness statements, surveillance videos and draft subpoenas.

  • Participation in field investigations, client interactions, and perform other duties as assigned.

The Investigator Internship is an unpaid 10-week program that begins in the summer of 2026. In this role, interns must maintain a minimum commitment of two days a week, for 16 hours a week in-person.

What you’ll learn

The pace of everyday is different at FDNY. Though this is an unpaid internship, interns will gain experience in client communication and rapport building, investigative research and case analysis, and lessons in advocacy and trial preparation.

Who you are

Participants in our program should be highly motivated and contemplating careers within the criminal justice space. Additionally, in reflection of the population of clients we serve and communities that they come from, we value and seek interns that hold a wide and diverse range of experiences, including various cultural, academic backgrounds and perspectives.

  • A bachelor’s degree or higher or must actively be in pursuit of one

  • A basic understanding of Microsoft Systems (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

  • A New York City resident or in location by the start of the internship

  • Passion and desire to gain substantive exposure to criminal defense law and direct service work

  • Demonstrates initiative, critical thinking, and is adaptable to changes at work

  • Exhibits sound judgment, good time management, writing, communication and organizational

  • A self-starter comfortable working both independently and collaboratively with a team.

  • Displays compassion, patience and sensitivity when working with others.

  • Interested in indigent criminal defense work and is committed to FDNY’s mission.

To apply, interested candidates must submit a brief writing sample using one of the prompts below, along with their resume and cover letter by the deadline of January 30, 2026, through Airtable. The cover letter should be addressed to Anna Finkel, Chief Investigator.

Select one of the following prompts to address:

  1. What motivates you to advocate for marginalized groups and communities within the criminal justice space/system?

  2. Describe a current event or a personal experience that has shaped your understanding of the challenges faced by individuals involved in the criminal justice system. How has this situation shaped your view of the criminal justice system overall?

Once the deadline of January 30, 2026, has passed, the acceptance of applications will be closed. Phone calls and faxes will not be accepted. Candidates of interest will receive communications from FDNY on next steps regarding the interview process.

Federal Defenders of New York is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, as FDNY is dedicated to promoting a work environment that supports and respects all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, gender identity, national origin, religion, or disability. Our office is committed to building a workplace that embraces different identities, voices, and worldviews—valuing equity and the richness of varied lived experiences. For more information about our office, please visit our website at www.federaldefendersny.org.