Client contact is a major part of the interns' responsibility, as they respond to specific inquiries from student journalists and their advisers and attorneys. Law interns also write articles about the research they complete for the Report , the Center's advice and information magazine that chronicles student press cases and controversies from around the country, as well as the Center's Web site. Interns take part in a seminar series coordinated by the SPLC and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press . Topics of the seminars range from confidential sources to government restrictions on advertising, and speakers have included Supreme Court reporter Tony Mauro and members of The Washington Post's in-house legal counsel staff. Part-time interns must be available a minimum of 12 hours per week.
Some interns arrange to receive academic credit from their school as well.
Recent interns have come from law schools at the University of Missouri, George Washington University, Duke University, the American University, University of Kansas, Georgetown University and Wake Forest University. Preference is given to those with student or professional journalism experience. Although there is no formal deadline for applying, applicants are encouraged to send in their materials by January 15 for the summer internship, June 1 for the fall internship and November 1 for the spring internship. Hiring decisions are made on a rotating basis, so early applications are strongly encouraged.