About
Get updates on drug lawsuits, settlements and PAL news
Are You Fed Up with High Drug Prices? Get Involved. Tell Us Your Story.

Internship Opportunities

Using advocacy, litigation, and other legal action, the Prescription Access Litigation (PAL) project at Community Catalyst promotes consumer access to affordable prescription drugs, while confronting deceptive and fraudulent practices by the drug industry that drive up health care costs. The project seeks a full-time or part-time volunteer intern for the summer of 2011.

Recent interns have helped draft submitted comments on federal rulemaking, legal memoranda shared with congressional leadership, motions filed in federal court, and with amicus briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Second Circuit court of Appeals.  

Summary of position responsibilities:

Legal interns are treated as integral and valued members of our staff, and are involved in all aspects of our work.  The primary responsibilities include:

  • Conducting legal and/or policy research and provide analysis in the areas that include: administrative advocacy through involvement in rulemaking, preemption, consumer protection, anti-trust law, and class action litigation.
  • Writing legal memorandum, amicus briefs, or citizen petitions on particular health system issues.
  • Conducting ongoing legislative analysis and advocacy concerning the implementation of the 2010 health reform law, including research on current and newly-created agency authority, and assisting with administrative advocacy through outreach to affiliated state and local consumer organizations concerning new legal initiatives, amicus briefs and regulatory advocacy opportunities.
  • Preparing educational articles, policy tools and/or blog entries about developments in the organization's legal initiatives.
  • Evaluating any proposed class action settlement in terms of fairness to consumer interests and assisting in settlement negotiations as possible.
  • Possible communication with consumers affected by current or future litigation.
  • Reviewing developments in class action litigation by related private class action firms.
  • Participating in discussions of challenges facing our health care system.

Attorney Supervision:

PAL interns are supervised by PAL's Director and Staff Attorney, though some projects may involve consultation with additional staff, some of whom are attorneys.

How to apply:

Interested applicants should contact send a cover letter expressing their interest in our work and a resume to wwilkinson@communitycatalyst.org, or may contact PAL's Director Wells Wilkinson by phone at 617-275-2822.

Deadline for submission:  ASAP     Expected starting date:  May 2011.

Salary: position is unpaid      

Community Catalyst is an equal opportunity employer.  Persons of color, women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.