Craigslist
Legal Clerk (Externship for Law Students) (Portland)
Summary:
OPB seeks law students for externship positions focusing on broad legal matters, designed to improve legal judgment and communication within a supportive team.
Highlights:
1. Opportunity to gain broad legal experience across various practice areas
2. Work closely with an experienced legal team
3. Develop legal judgment and communication skills in a supportive environment
*Only current Law Students with US work authorization are eligible for this externship*
Required Documents:
Resume, Cover Letter, Unofficial Transcript, and Writing Sample
How to Apply:
Go to OPB.org/careers and locate the Legal Clerk job posting. Click the posting and click the “Apply” button at the bottom of the page. Follow all application instructions as defined below. Deadline is Tuesday, February 24th, 2026, at 8:59pm Pacific Time.
Your application should include (1) a tailored, typo-free cover letter; (2) updated resume; (3) unofficial transcript to confirm current enrollment; and (4) writing sample (3 pages is plenty). Students should clearly state at the start of their cover letters which semesters they are available and would like to be considered for.
We often see buzz words and phrases in application materials such as “honed skills”. We encourage students to be authentic and creative in describing their knowledge, skills, and experience to help your application stand out.
Job Title:
Legal Clerk – Fall Term (August-December 2026)(Part-Time, 20-40 hours per week)
Legal Clerk – Winter/Spring Term (January-May 2027)(Part-Time, 20-40 hours per week)
Employer:
Oregon Public Broadcasting (Portland, OR)
Position Type:
Field Placement Opportunity, Student Employment, Full Time, Paid
Hours:
480 hours to be completed over a minimum of 12 weeks (additional weeks to complete the 480 hour requirement may be necessary depending on your school responsibilities)
Position Description:
OPB is seeking interesting people to fill externship positions for the Fall 2026 and Winter/Spring 2027 terms, for a total for Four open positions.
OPB’s legal team consists of five full-time attorneys, one contract specialist, one legal operations and compliance analyst, and a legal assistant. Externs will work closely with OPB's General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, Corporate Counsel, the Roger Cooke Media Counsel, and the Roger Cooke Legal Fellow, all of whom are experienced lawyers.
The department handles all OPB's legal matters (except employment law), including all business and vendor contracts, real property leases, tower leases, IP licenses, and public records request petitions. An extern can expect broad experience designed to improve legal judgment and communication.
Work environment is business casual and generally a mix of in the office and remote, with most work being remote. All necessary equipment is provided. Hours and working locations are somewhat flexible, but we’ve learned over the last decade that students who can serve closer to full time get a superior experience.
OPB's extern program is well established, and prospective applicants are encouraged to talk with past externs about their experiences.
Qualifications:
Students that get the most out of the experience have a curiosity about different areas of the law and a passion for public broadcasting and its mission. Strong writing skills make things better. A demonstrated interest in media law, copyright licensing, and/or nonprofit business issues is nice but not critical, we do plenty of straight up business law too.
Our day-to-day is different every day, so we value candidates with flexibility and the ability to prioritize time-sensitive matters. Applicants should have advanced research and writing skills, the ability to function independently with limited supervision and demonstrate attention to detail in all work product.
OPB, and specifically the legal team, believe that diverse backgrounds and experiences are the keys to excellent collaborative work. We especially encourage students from diverse cultural backgrounds and non-traditional legal educational backgrounds to apply.
Student Perspective:
“As I want to work in the areas of entertainment or media law, this externship provided me with my first opportunity to experience what it means to work in these industries. My supervisors demonstrated a level of trust in me and my work product to the point where it often felt like I was a legitimate lawyer on the legal team and not just an extern. My supervisors and I developed a great relationship, and I intend to maintain my connections with them moving forward.”
Term:
Fall: August-December 2026
Winter/Spring: January-May 2027
Deadline Details:
Tuesday, February 24th, 2026, at 8:59pm Pacific Time
Emphasis of Practice/Position:
Contract Review/Management, Entertainment & Sports, Intellectual Property, Real Property, and Public Records Advocacy.
Desired Class Level(s):
Prefer 2L at time of application. 3L at time of externship, but we have had great experiences with 1L applicants too.
Compensation Type:
Paid bi-weekly, possible Academic Credit
Compensation Details:
Hourly Rate: $20
Work Environment:
Majority of work can be performed remotely. Candidates must reside in Oregon or Washington at the time of their externship.
Academic Credit:
Between you and your law school, but we’re happy to fill out any required forms.
Address applications to (name and title):
Lupita Velazquez, Legal Assistant, and Jon Bial, Deputy General Counsel
OPB is an equal opportunity employer

9340 SW 30th Ave, Portland, OR 97219, USA
$20/hour