The Premier One-Day Public Interest Law Program
Hosted in Arlington, VA at IJ’s Headquarters Office
Saturday, November 7, 2026
For over 30 years, IJ has hosted an annual law student conference at our headquarters in Arlington, VA, drawing students from across the country. This Legal Intensive brings that experience into a single, condensed day: an immersive, practical program designed to supplement the legal theory and skills students learn in the classroom. IJ’s experts will teach attendees about public interest law through an IJ lens, showing how the litigation we bring turns constitutional principles into real cases and how students can put their law school training into action.
What to Expect
- Throughout the one-day conference, IJ attorneys will guide you through informative and interactive sessions on public interest law versus private practice, litigation strategies, how to develop a case from beginning to end, and more.
- Walk away with behind-the-scenes insight on how to advance a case on the state and federal level and what steps to take when you see something in the headlines that you want to change through litigation.
- Hear directly from IJ clients and see the real impact public interest litigation has on Americans fighting against government abuse.
- Learn how to put public interest litigation strategies into practice in our practitioner breakout sessions where we use a mock IJ case to decide what legal claims to bring, and develop a discovery and media strategy.
- The theme of this year’s Legal Intensive will highlight IJ’s work litigating at every level: how one constitutional principle travels from a trial court filing to the steps of the Supreme Court — including the three IJ cases the Court has agreed to hear, two of which will be argued the week after the event!
Are you interested in attending but live outside of the DC area? This event is open to law students nationwide!
This event is open to law students across the country. We know not everyone will be a walk or a train ride away from our Arlington, VA office, so we are pleased to cover travel and lodging expenses for students that aren’t local. Come spend your weekend with us!