The Mellon Foundation (“Foundation”) believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas (Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place).
The Foundation is seeking a Legal Intern to work with the Legal Team during a 10-week full-time summer program. The Legal Team is staffed with four attorneys including the Foundation’s Chief Legal Officer. The Legal Intern will support a range of projects throughout their time at the Foundation and will gain exposure to the wide spectrum of work that makes up in-house practice. Work will likely span numerous areas of law including exempt organization law (including applicable federal tax law and state nonprofit law), corporate law, and intellectual property law. The Legal Intern will have an opportunity to work and interact with staff across the Foundation such as program staff, finance, communications, investments, and HR.
This is a hybrid in-person internship in our New York City offices. As with all Mellon staff, the intern will be expected to be in the Foundation’s Manhattan offices three days per week.
Responsibilities
- Assist in providing solution-oriented day-to-day legal counsel to Foundation staff on a variety of subjects
- Conduct legal research and write legal and other memoranda for a range of audiences
- Draft and review contracts including grant agreements
- Assist in grant proposal compliance and due diligence reviews
- Drafting, updating, and reviewing internal legal training materials
- Represent the legal team with staff attorneys in meetings with other Foundation staff and third parties
- Provide general support to attorneys in the legal team
Qualifications
- Only candidates in J.D. programs will be considered – one year of law school must be completed prior to the start of the internship
- Outstanding research, writing, analytical, and communication skills
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to work independently, prioritize projects, and multitask
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and Westlaw or LexisNexis
- A compelling interest in non-profit law and in-house legal practice
- Commitment to the Foundation’s mission, core values, and focus on social justice
The Foundation is an equal opportunity employer that offers a competitive salary and excellent working conditions.
Candidates should apply by submitting a thoughtful cover letter describing fit for the position together with a resume HERE.
We will consider each response carefully but only contact those individuals we feel are most qualified for the position.
Mellon Foundation is committed to providing compensation that is competitive and equitable within the philanthropic sector. The estimated salary for this role is $27-$30 per hour. The amount of pay offered will be determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to qualifications, unique skills, credentials or experience that is expected to impact the candidate’s contribution to the role. We will also consider market data as well as the Foundation’s internal pay equity framework.