Legal Intern

Who we are:

The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change. For more than 80 years, the nonprofit organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country's most iconic social impact campaigns - Smokey Bear, Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more.

The Raquel Zarin Internship Program:

Our internship program is in honor of Raquel Zarin, a beloved employee, mentor and friend at the Ad Council. Raquel passed away in 2021 but left behind a legacy of grace, courage, hard work and great fun that we strive to emulate. She nurtured young talent, championed belonging, fought for fair immigration practices, and was passionate about the importance of expanded health access. These are all principles that we hold in high esteem and values that we want our future interns to establish during their time with us and beyond.

The Raquel Zarin Internship Program is a remote-first engagement and will run from June 1, 2026 - August 14, 2026. All interns will be paid $19/hour and are eligible to earn overtime. Ability to work East Coast hours is required.

Job Summary:

The Legal Intern will play an active role in supporting the Ad Council's inhouse Legal team, contributing to contract review, rights management, legal research, and process improvement initiatives that enable the organization's mission and longterm effectiveness. The intern will engage directly with Legal's core work, reviewing standard agreements, identifying patterns across executed contracts, and helping improve templates, training materials, and internal resources that guide how legal services are delivered across the organization.

Designed for a first- or second-year law student, this role emphasizes learning through handson participation and increasing responsibility over the course of the internship. Through supervised legal analysis, research, and collaboration, the intern will help advance the Legal team's initiatives from planning through execution, contribute to continuous improvement efforts, and develop a practical understanding of how legal judgment informs business, creative, and governance decisions. The intern will also collaborate with fellow Ad Council interns on a summer project, contributing a legal and business affairs perspective to the development and presentation of a campaign proposal.

What you'll do:

• Support key Legal team projects and initiatives from planning through execution by completing relevant training, building foundational knowledge of governance and risk, and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement
• Contribute to strategy development and operational efficiency by organizing the Legal team's templates and internal resources and proposing updates to standard agreements and reference materials
• Support initial review of lowrisk agreements, as appropriate based on workload and progression, confirming consistency with previously executed agreement and flagging issues for Legal review
• Research and analyze legal and regulatory developments, including executive orders, government requirements, and emerging tools such as AI to inform Legal team guidance and decisionmaking
• Collaborate with internal and crossfunctional stakeholders by attending designated meetings, documenting discussions, and tracking followup items to support effective legal governance and outcomes
• Collaborate with Ad Council interns on the summer intern project, contributing a legal and business affairs perspective to help identify relevant rights, risk, and contracting considerations and support development and presentation of a campaign proposal to Ad Council staff

What you bring:

• Current enrollment as a first or secondyear law student (1L or 2L) in good academic standing at an accredited law school at the time of the internship, with a demonstrated interest in inhouse legal practice, contracts, and legal topics related to marketing, media, talent, or intellectual property
• Foundational understanding of contracts and legal concepts gained through law school coursework
• Ability to perform preliminary reviews of standard and templated agreements (e.g., NDAs, Statements of Work, insertion orders, amendments, and renewals) by comparing against previously executed agreements and legal team guidance and direction
• Excellent analytical, written, verbal, and communication skills, including the ability to clearly summarize legal issues, research findings, and meeting discussions
• High level of attention to detail, organization, and followthrough
• Ability to manage multiple assignments, meet deadlines, and work independently in a remote, fastpaced environment
• Professional judgment and discretion when handling confidential and sensitive information
• Collaborative mindset and comfort working crossfunctionally with legal and nonlegal stakeholders

What we're committed to:

At the Ad Council, we value and celebrate the unique characteristics and perspectives that make each person who they are. Fostering a welcoming environment allows us to enhance and reimagine how we reach our audiences. It is not simply our belief, but our duty, to cultivate a team that is representative of the American people. Only then can we drive true, measurable, and life-changing impact on the most important issues facing our country today.

The Ad Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any legally protected status.

The Ad Council invites all qualified interested applicants to apply for career opportunities. In accordance with the EEOC, if you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please submit your request through one of the following methods listed below.

How to reach us:

To apply online: https://www.adcouncil.org/join-our-team

Email: (careers@adcouncil.org)

Fax (212) 922-1676

or

Ad Council

Attn: People Operations Team

815 2nd Avenue, 9th Floor

New York, NY 10017

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