PLAN Clerkships afford law students and recent law school graduates unique opportunities to contribute to prisoners’ rights advocacy as fully integrated members of PLAN legal response teams. PLAN Clerks work alongside public interest attorneys, legal paraprofessionals, jailhouse lawyers and prisoner rights’ advocates. They gain direct experience in coordinating and conducting confidential legal consultations with incarcerated service recipients and inside partners, investigating conditions of confinement complaints, and developing and implementing responsive legal advocacy strategies under the direct legal supervision of PLAN attorneys. PLAN Clerks also conduct legal research and writing and help develop legal resource materials for jailhouse lawyers and pro se litigants and for pro bono practitioners and jurists who practice in the prisoners’ rights bar.They apply PLAN’s prisoner-reported data analytics to strengthen legal arguments and to educate the public. PLAN Pro Bono Scholars work full-time as PLAN Supervisory Senior Law Clerks during the spring semester of their 3L year. They function as fully integrated members of PLAN staff, working alongside PLAN legal practitioners and members of PLAN’s non-profit corporate and advisory boards to develop and administer legal services and support under the direct legal supervision of PLAN attorneys.

Law students who are in good standing at an accredited U.S. law school and law school graduates who have not yet been admitted to the bar are eligible to apply for PLAN’s Law Clerkship Program. To apply for a PLAN Pro Bono Scholars placement, candidates must first be accepted into the Pro Bono Scholars Program at their law school. As PLAN initiatives operate remotely, law students and recent law schools graduates from all accredited U.S. law schools may apply.

PLAN Clerkships are unpaid positions. However, these placements may be eligible for public interest grants or stipends or remuneration through work-study programs. PLAN Clerks may receive pro bono or externship credit for their work.

PLAN Law Clerkships during the academic year involve a time commitment of 7-10 hours per week for pro bono placements, 12-15 hours per week for externships, and 15-20 hours per week for work-study placements. PLAN Pro Bono Scholar Placements are 12-week full-time positions during the spring semester of Scholars’ 3L year. PLAN Summer Clerkships are full-time placements of 29-40 hours per week and may qualify for work-study funding or public interest stipends through students' law schools.