Legal Intern

The next part of your journey is right around the corner — with The Standard.

A genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others is the foundation for everything we do. With a customer-first mindset and an intentional focus on building strong teams, we’ve been able to uphold our legacy of financial stability while investing in new, innovative technologies that support the needs of our customers. Our high-performance culture focused on operational excellence thrives thanks to remarkable people united by compassion and a customer-first commitment. Are you ready to make a difference?

Job Summary:

Department & Team Overview:

The Legal & Compliance Department at The Standard is a trusted business partner that helps turn legal and compliance risk into positive business results.  Within Legal, we provide legal advice and counsel to The Standard’s business units and help manage/mitigate the company’s legal risk.  There are four different attorney teams within Legal: Claims & Litigation; Transactions; Employment; and Asset Management Group (“AMG”) Legal. 

Program Description:

The Standard is looking for a first or second year law student to participate in our Summer Legal Internship Program designed to develop and enhance the legal skills of law students.  This a paid, fully remote internship for the Summer of 2027.   

The Standard’s Legal Internship Program provides a unique and highly desirable experience of working in an in-house legal environment that utilizes not just legal skills but opportunities to work in an advisory role to the business. Under supervision of department attorneys, you will receive a variety of work assignments from each of the four different attorney teams within Legal.  You will also learn about The Standard’s business operations and meet with internal business partners.  Additionally, you will gain practical legal experience across a broad range of legal practice areas within The Standard, while honing professional skills at a top-tier financial institution.  The Legal Internship Program is not designed for the purpose of recruiting new attorney hires following graduation from law school.

Responsibilities Include:

• Researching relevant laws and regulations
• Reviewing and summarizing laws, regulations, case law, etc.
• Observing client meetings, negotiations, and/or mediations
• Drafting legal memoranda
• Attending department-wide and team meetings
• Reviewing contracts
• Advising on privacy issues
• Addressing in-house employment matters

Opportunities Include:

• Relationship with Legal Internship Program mentor who will facilitate introductions, provide work assignments and feedback (including an exit interview at the end of the summer), and meet regularly to check in throughout the program
• Coaching and advice on legal career paths, drafting resumes, interview skills, and finalizing a writing sample to use for future job applications
• Exposure to and receipt of assignments from a wide array of legal practice areas (examples include litigation, employment, data use & privacy, marketing, contract review, retirement and insurance plans, and more)
• Learning how the Legal department partners with and supports The Standard’s business units through exposure to internal business clients
• Meetings and interactions with leaders throughout The Standard
• Networking and developmental opportunities, including trainings and working with law firms that represent The Standard

Location, Hours, and Schedule:

• Location: Remote (working anywhere within the continental United States and Hawaii)
• Hours: 40 hours/week
• Schedule: M-F 8am – 5pm (Interns will work these hours based on the time zone in which they live)
• Minimum of 8 weeks and may be extended to a maximum of 10 weeks

Benefits and Compensation:

• $28-30/hr.
• Up to three days of paid time off (accrual based on hours worked), plus Company paid holidays during the internship period.

Qualifications:

• First or second year law student during the 2027-2028 academic year

• Authorized to work in the United States without requiring company sponsorship, now or in the future.  

Skills You’ll Need:

• Critical thinker with the ability to analyze laws, regulations, case law, contracts, etc.
• Ability to successfully perform legal research in a legal database such as LexisNexis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively in a virtual team environment.
• Strong attention to detail, commitment to accuracy, and ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel (including formulas, PivotTables, formatting, and data analysis), with experience using Teams and Outlook; familiarity with AI tools is a plus

Key Behaviors of a Successful Candidate:

Winning together: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build relationships with team members and stakeholders within the organization. Team-oriented and takes a collaborative approach to enhance subject matter expertise while contributing to project success.

Driving success: Independently drives work forward and takes responsibility for achieving job requirements, tasks, and objectives. Possesses an innate curiosity and self-motivation to produce great results. 

Adaptability: Utilizes creative problem-solving techniques to address new circumstances and presents ideas for solutions. Demonstrated willingness to learn new skills and accept feedback. 

#LI-DNI

We have built an enduring legacy of stability, financial strength and exceptional customer service through the contributions of the service-oriented people who choose to work at The Standard. To ensure we can attract and retain the best talent, when you join The Standard you can expect:

• Real-world experiences and meaningful projects that support your career goals provided by a supportive and responsive management team eager to help with skills development

• Opportunities to build relationships and broaden industry knowledge through virtual networking with leaders and team members across the company

• Three days of paid time off and paid company holidays during your internship period

• A virtual first day orientation and the equipment necessary (e.g., laptop, monitors, headset) for a successful internship experience

Salary Range:

Positions will be posted for at least 5 days from original posting date.

Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, Inc., StanCorp Mortgage Investors, LLC, StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., and American Heritage Life Insurance Company and American Heritage Service Company, marketed as The Standard, are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status or any other condition protected by federal, state or local law. Except where precluded by state or federal law, The Standard will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. The Standard offers a drug- and alcohol-free work environment where possession, manufacture, transfer, offer, use of or being impaired by an illegal substance while on The Standard's property, or in other cases which the company believes might affect operations, safety or reputation of the company is prohibited. The Standard requires a criminal background investigation and employment, education and licensing verification as a condition of employment. After any conditional offer of employment is made, the background check will include an individualized assessment based on the applicant’s specific record and the duties and requirements of the specific job. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain and correct background information. All employees of The Standard must be bondable.