J-1 Visa Legal Intern Jobs
Legal Intern positions in the U.S. are available to current law students and recent graduates through the J-1 visa Intern or Trainee program category, administered by a State Department-designated sponsor organization that issues your DS-2019 and provides sponsorship. Host law firms, courts, and legal nonprofits serve as your placement site, not your visa sponsor.
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Get Access To All JobsPosition: Visiting Assistant Professor of Tax Law in the Graduate Tax Program. One-year term appointment with possibility of renewal for a second year. The position is not a tenure-track appointment.
Compensation and Benefits: Tax VAPs receive an annual salary (currently in the mid $70,000 range) and benefits, including health insurance. Tax VAPs may also apply for subsidized faculty housing. Each Tax VAP is provided with a faculty office, administrative support, and a research budget.
Requirements:
- A J.D. degree
- A strong record of academic achievement
- An interest in pursuing an academic career
Tax VAPs will be selected based on their scholarly potential and their teaching ability.
Application Materials:
- Curriculum vitae
- Copies of law school transcripts (JD and, if applicable, LLM)
- Brief statement of research interests
- List of 3 references
Applications are accepted exclusively through Interfolio.
NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.
Sustainability Statement
NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/sustainability
Position: Visiting Assistant Professor of Tax Law in the Graduate Tax Program. One-year term appointment with possibility of renewal for a second year. The position is not a tenure-track appointment.
Compensation and Benefits: Tax VAPs receive an annual salary (currently in the mid $70,000 range) and benefits, including health insurance. Tax VAPs may also apply for subsidized faculty housing. Each Tax VAP is provided with a faculty office, administrative support, and a research budget.
Requirements:
- A J.D. degree
- A strong record of academic achievement
- An interest in pursuing an academic career
Tax VAPs will be selected based on their scholarly potential and their teaching ability.
Application Materials:
- Curriculum vitae
- Copies of law school transcripts (JD and, if applicable, LLM)
- Brief statement of research interests
- List of 3 references
Applications are accepted exclusively through Interfolio.
NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. All interested persons are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.
Sustainability Statement
NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/sustainability
See all J-1 Visa Legal Intern Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new J-1 Visa Legal Intern Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Legal Intern
Verify your J-1 category before applying
Current law students qualify under the J-1 Intern category, while law graduates with at least one year of post-degree experience qualify under Trainee. Applying to host employers before confirming your category wastes time, since your DS-2019 will reflect one or the other.
Build a training plan before outreach
Your designated sponsor requires a structured training plan before issuing your DS-2019. Draft a week-by-week breakdown of legal practice areas you'll rotate through, since host employers in litigation or transactional work expect this document ready at the offer stage.
Target host employers with prior J-1 experience
Use Migrate Mate to filter Legal Intern roles at host employers that have placed J-1 exchange visitors before. Firms and legal aid organizations already familiar with the DS-2019 process move faster and rarely require internal legal review before signing your training plan.
Clarify the two-year home residency rule early
Some J-1 legal interns from countries with exchange agreements, or funded by their home government, are subject to a two-year home residency requirement before changing to H-1B visa or green card status. Confirm your residency requirement with your designated sponsor before accepting a host placement.
Confirm bar admission restrictions with your host
J-1 legal interns cannot practice law in the U.S. without state bar admission, which you likely don't have. Clarify with your host employer upfront that your role involves legal research, drafting, and observation rather than client representation, to keep your training plan compliant.
Align your program dates with academic calendars
Designated sponsors issue DS-2019 forms tied to specific program start and end dates. If you're a law student, your host employer must schedule your internship within a semester or summer window, since gaps between academic enrollment and program dates can jeopardize your J-1 status.
Legal Intern J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category covers Legal Intern positions?
Current law students enrolled at a degree-granting institution qualify under the J-1 Intern category. Recent law graduates who have been out of school for more than 12 months and have at least one year of relevant post-degree experience qualify under the J-1 Trainee category instead. Your designated sponsor confirms which category applies based on your academic and professional status at the time of application.
Who is the actual visa sponsor for a J-1 legal internship?
The visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated sponsor organization, not the law firm, court, or legal nonprofit where you work. The designated sponsor issues your DS-2019 form, monitors your training plan compliance, and is legally responsible for your exchange program. Your host employer provides the placement site and signs the training plan, but cannot sponsor the J-1 visa directly.
How can I find host employers that accept J-1 legal interns?
Search on Migrate Mate to find Legal Intern roles at U.S. employers that have hosted J-1 exchange visitors. Host employers range from large law firms and federal agencies to legal aid organizations and corporate legal departments. Targeting employers with prior J-1 experience shortens the onboarding process because they already understand the DS-2019 and training plan requirements.
Does the J-1 Intern or Trainee category have a two-year home residency requirement?
Some J-1 legal interns are subject to the two-year home residency requirement under INA Section 212(e), which applies if your home country appears on the State Department's Exchange Visitor Skills List, your program was government-funded, or you received graduate medical education. If the requirement applies, you must return home for two years before changing to H-1B or applying for a green card, unless you obtain a waiver.
What documents does a legal intern need before the DS-2019 is issued?
Your designated sponsor typically requires proof of current enrollment or degree completion, a signed training plan describing your legal practice area rotations, a host employer letter confirming your placement, and proof of adequate health insurance meeting State Department minimums. Some sponsors also require a letter from your home institution if you are receiving academic credit for the internship.