Legal & Contracts Internship

Olson Kundig is a design practice founded on the idea that buildings can serve as a bridge between nature, culture, and people - and that inspiring surroundings can positively impact lives. Our work spans the globe, from huts to high-rises, private homes to civic and cultural institutions, museums, places of worship, and urban design.

The Opportunity
The Legal Intern provides legal and administrative support in the areas of contract drafting, contract administration, contract process management, legal operations, and special projects. To succeed in this role, the individual should have strong legal writing, organization, communication, and analytical skills, along with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. This role partners with multiple departments across the firm to support contract review, process improvement, and risk-conscious business operations.

What You'll Do

Contract drafting and review: 

• Assist with review, draft, and revise a broad range of inbound and outbound agreements, including consulting agreements, statements of work, nondisclosure agreements, and professional architecture and design project agreements. 

• Identify basic legal and business risks in contracts and escalate issues to in-house counsel as appropriate. 

• Support timely contract turnaround while maintaining attention to detail and alignment with firm standards.

Contract administration & process support:

• Assist with contract management, document organization, and tracking of key terms, deadlines, and amendment needs. 

• Support maintenance and updates to contract templates to improve consistency, efficiency, and risk mitigation. 

• Help identify process gaps and contribute to improvements in contracting workflows, policies, and procedures. 

• Assist with the implementation of the new contract management system, as assigned. 

Legal operations and cross-functional support: 

• Assist with document retention analysis and development of proposed document retention guidelines. 

• Participate in internal contracts training and help prepare materials or resources for staff. 

• Collaborate with internal teams on legal, compliance, and operational projects as assigned.

*Additional duties & projects as assigned or necessary

Qualifications

Required:  

• Education: Currently enrolled in or a graduate of an ABA-accredited Juris Doctor (JD) program; second- or third-year students or recent graduates preferred.

• Experience: Prior internship, academic, clinic, journal, or other relevant experience involving legal writing, contract review, or business law concepts preferred. 

• Strong academic performance, including coursework in legal writing and contracts. 

• Writing sample

Preferred:

• Advanced experience in legal proofreading, document review accuracy, and professional written communication

• Coursework or exposure in contract law, construction law, privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, or risk management. 

• Interest in in-house legal work, business operations, or the architecture and design industry. 

• Ability to work independently while maintaining strong collaboration with the broader team. 

• Experience using Microsoft Office applications in a professional or academic setting.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements:

• Environment Type: Office

• Ability to work under tight deadlines for completion of projects 

• ​​Ability to ​​sit/stand for long periods of time working at a computer.​​ 

• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and internal stakeholders. 

• Ability to handle multiple assignments and shift priorities with limited supervision

Equal Opportunity & Pay Transparency
Olson Kundig is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, gender, age, religion, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations at any point in the employment process.

In compliance with Washington State’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (RCW 49.58.110), Olson Kundig provides transparent compensation information in all job postings. For this Legal Intern position, the hourly wage is $26.50 . This rate is fixed and reflects the compensation offered for this role, onsite in Seattle, WA. The internship role is 3 months in length, 20 to 30 hours per week, with the potential for an additional extension.

Interns are also eligible for:

• 100% firm-sponsored health insurance through Kaiser Permanente HMO network
• Paid time off
• Monthly commuter subsidy
• Access to firm-wide learning and development opportunities

Final compensation decisions are based on the candidate’s education, experience, and alignment with the role, while also considering internal equity and external market factors.

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship and must already possess long-term work authorization.

How to Apply
To apply for the Legal Intern role, please complete our online application and attach:

• Resume
• Cover Letter (optional)

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship and must already possess long-term work authorization.