Application Guide
How to Apply for Legal Intern
at Mercy for Animals
🏢 About Mercy for Animals
Mercy for Animals is a leading animal advocacy nonprofit dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals through investigations, corporate campaigns, and legal advocacy. Working here means joining a mission-driven team that combines undercover footage, litigation, and policy reform to create systemic change for animals. It's an ideal fit for someone who wants to use legal skills for a cause they're passionate about.
About This Role
This 8-12 week paid legal internship supports Mercy for Animals' farmed animal protection efforts through research, legal analysis, and campaign support. You'll assist attorneys with high-impact projects like drafting memoranda, reviewing undercover footage, and executing advocacy campaigns, while also handling nonprofit governance and compliance tasks. It's a hands-on opportunity to apply legal training to real-world animal advocacy and see how litigation and policy intersect with grassroots organizing.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve researching state laws on farmed animal confinement, drafting a legal memorandum for an upcoming campaign, and reviewing undercover footage to identify legal violations. You'll also join a supervision call with attorneys, attend an educational session on investigations or policy, and help with a compliance task for the nonprofit. The work is varied, mission-driven, and offers direct exposure to how legal advocacy supports animal protection.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Mercy for Animals Is Looking For
- Current law student (1L, 2L, or 3L) or licensed attorney in at least one U.S. state with a strong interest in animal law, public interest, or nonprofit advocacy.
- Excellent legal research, writing, and analytical skills, with the ability to draft clear memoranda and analyze complex laws and regulations.
- Comfortable reviewing graphic undercover footage of farmed animal cruelty and translating findings into legal and campaign strategies.
- Self-motivated and organized, able to work remotely up to 29 hours per week and collaborate with a distributed legal team.
- Demonstrated commitment to animal protection, social justice, or nonprofit work through coursework, volunteering, or previous internships.
📝 Tips for Applying to Mercy for Animals
Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight any experience with animal law, administrative law, or nonprofit legal work—even if it's from a clinic, externship, or volunteer role.
In your cover letter, explicitly state your availability for an 8-12 week full-time internship and confirm you can work up to 29 hours per week remotely.
Mention specific Mercy for Animals campaigns or cases you admire (e.g., their undercover investigations or corporate policy wins) to show genuine engagement with their work.
If you have any experience reviewing sensitive or graphic material (e.g., in human rights or animal advocacy), briefly note how you handle such content professionally and emotionally.
Use your application to demonstrate strong legal writing: include a writing sample that showcases your research and analysis skills, ideally on a topic related to animal law or administrative advocacy.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your specific motivation for supporting farmed animal protection and why Mercy for Animals' approach (investigations, litigation, policy) resonates with you.", 'Concrete examples of your legal research and writing abilities, such as a memo you drafted or a legal analysis you conducted.', 'Your ability to handle sensitive undercover footage and contribute to campaign execution with professionalism and discretion.', "Your interest in nonprofit administration and governance, and how you can support the legal team's compliance and operational needs."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore Mercy for Animals' website, especially their investigations, campaigns, and legal victories, to understand their strategy and recent impact.
- → Read about key legal issues in farmed animal protection, such as ag-gag laws, undercover investigation rights, and corporate animal welfare policies.
- → Look into the backgrounds of Mercy for Animals' legal team and their previous cases or advocacy work to tailor your questions and application.
- → Familiarize yourself with nonprofit governance basics, including board responsibilities, compliance, and tax-exempt organization rules, as the internship involves administrative support.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't mention animal advocacy or Mercy for Animals specifically—this role requires genuine passion for the mission.
- Failing to acknowledge the emotional impact of reviewing undercover footage; instead, show self-awareness and maturity in handling sensitive material.
- Ignoring the nonprofit administration aspect of the role; candidates who focus only on litigation may seem unprepared for governance and compliance tasks.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Mercy for Animals!