Law Student Event: Winter 2026 Legal Intensive
The Premier One-Day Public Interest Law Program
Hosted in Arlington, VA at IJ’s Headquarters Office
Saturday, January 24, 2026
For over 30 years, IJ has hosted an annual law student conference with law students from across the country near our headquarters office in Arlington, VA. We are excited to continue to offer an opportunity for students to participate in an immersive and practical day of learning right in their own backyards. Our Legal Intensives are intended to supplement the legal theory and skills that students learn in the classroom. The experts at IJ will teach attendees about public interest law and how to take what students have learned so far in law school and put it 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 deposition and media strategy.
- The theme of this year’s Legal Intensive will highlight IJ’s Fourth Amendment Pillar through our Deep Dive session: Searches, Seizures, Surveillance, and the Future of Privacy.
Meet our speakers
Andrew Ward is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice, where he focuses on protecting economic liberty, property rights, and free speech. He leads IJ’s Fresh Start practice and is part of the team challenging the federal FinCEN mandate, which has already seen major success.
Betsy Sanz is an attorney at the Institute for Justice, where she works across all four of IJ’s pillars. She first joined IJ as a Dave Kennedy Fellow in 2020 and now litigates cases including IJ’s challenge to the federal FinCEN mandate.
Andrew Wimer is IJ’s Director of Media Relations and works to make the case for economic liberty, free speech, private property rights, and educational choice in the court of public opinion.
Are you interested in attending but live outside of the DC area? This event is open to law students nationwide!
Our winter Legal Intensive is open to law students across the country. We know not everyone will be a walk or a train ride away from the venue, so we are pleased to cover travel and lodging expenses for students that aren’t local. Come spend your weekend with us!
Hello, The application period for our upcoming Legal Intensive has lapsed. Please email Devon Lussier for additional consideration: [email protected]