Job Brief
Vital Strategies Legal Summer Associate
Vital Strategies is a global public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury, and death. We currently work in more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include noncommunicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, food policy, environmental health, and data for health. Our programs are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries and cities in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.
We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by people with diverse life experiences whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, actual or perceived age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws. As such, our commitment is to promote equal employment opportunities (EEO) for those seeking employment.
About the Program:
We're seeking a Summer Legal Intern to join our legal team this summer. This position would be ideal for a law school student seeking to gain exposure to working in an in-house capacity at a global nonprofit organization. Throughout the summer, you will strengthen critical, technical legal skills through engaging, meaningful work assignments, including but not limited to conducting legal research projects and participating in the review of international contracts. You will also meet with organizational leadership, participate in professional development sessions.
Duration: June - August, 2026 (10-12 weeks); minimum commitment of 3 days per week. * While we will offer at least the minimum number of weeks and hours required for your law school’s public internship funding eligibility, we are flexible on the exact start and end date and will coordinate with the selected candidate on the exact timeframe of the internship.
Location: New York City/Tri-State Area – Hybrid work schedule (at least 2 days in office per week)
Compensation: This internship is eligible for law school public interest internship funding programs.
Responsibilities:
• Conducting research projects concerning various legal matters relating to our organization, including but not limited to international law, data privacy and security, intellectual property, and nonprofit law, and presenting findings to the legal team and other internal teams.
• Participating in the review of subgrant agreements, independent contractor agreements, service provider agreements, memoranda of understanding, and other agreements with program partners and vendors to build essential drafting and research skills.
• Participating in meetings concerning contract negotiation and compliance matters that may arise.
• Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Education and Work Experience -
• Currently enrolled in a law school JD program
• Experience in the nonprofit or health sector or in a field involving international transactions and compliance and/or data privacy and security preferred but not required
Skills and Knowledge -
• Working knowledge of legal research platforms such as Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law.
• Excellent analytical skills, with commitment to continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates superior initiative and ensures strict confidentiality at all times.
• Highly organized and detail oriented with ability to multitask and balance competing deadlines; possesses a track record of managing project plans, timelines and deadlines to completion.
• Superb communication skills; communicates clearly and is effective with verbal and written communications; adapts communication style to needs of the audience.
• Committed team player, with experience in building trust, a strong rapport and collaborative relationships (including with team members in Legal, Operations, HR, IT, Finance, and more)
• Quick and motivated learner, eager to jump in and take on new challenges to improve work product. A team player, self- starter and skilled in spotting issues and mistakes in legal documents.
• Tech savvy, ideally possessing experience with legal technology systems as well as CLM and CRM tools. Familiar with Microsoft 365 suite of applications (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Teams).
• Business proficiency in another language (Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese) helpful but not required
How to Apply:
Please upload the following documents to the link provided below:
• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample
