The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. We cannot imagine life without art; it inspires and connects us every day. Now more than ever, these connections matter and are aligned with our values.
Inclusive: We strive to be a museum of many voices in dialogue.
Passionate: We believe working with art is more than a job or trusteeship - it's a way of life.
Brave: We are committed to approaching our work with courage and a sense of adventure, always ready to explore new perspectives.
Empathic: We aim to act like a person, not an institution.
SFMOMA is a place for the infinitely curious to explore, support, and experience the art of our time. We believe that modern and contemporary art can influence the way we think, view the world, and embrace the many voices and perspectives around us. We aspire to foster an environment that elicits joy, nurtures a sense of belonging and purpose—where difference is seen as a strength, and every one is appreciated for their whole self.
Schedule: Full Time, 35 hours/week, Monday, June 15 - Friday, August 14, at least three days working onsite
Department Description
The General Counsel serves as legal counsel to the Museum. This team negotiates, prepares, and reviews complex contracts and legal memoranda; identifies and analyzes legal and strategic issues affecting the Museum's operations and programs; drafts policies for the Museum; advises on litigation matters; advises on the development and revision of institutional policies; advises the Board of Trustees on matters related to governance; and analyzes a broad range of federal, state, and local laws/regulations and policies that affect the Museum's operations, collections, exhibitions, programs, staffing, fundraising, and capital projects. The General Counsel supervises the internal legal work for the Museum and also oversees the work of the Museum’s outside counsel. The General Counsel reports to the Museum Director and is a member of the Museum's Executive Team.
Position Description
SFMOMA is seeking one first-year or second-year law student for a full-time legal internship working with the Museum's General Counsel on a broad range of legal research, writing, and contractual, and drafting assignments for the Museum. The General Counsel Intern will gain an understanding of legal issues in museum administration including: copyright, trademark, labor, employment, governance, tax, contracts, and fine arts insurance issues. The General Counsel Intern can expect to gain hands-on, real-world experience drafting legal memoranda, contracts, conducting legal research, attending client meetings, and other applicable hearings/court matters.
Project Plan
During the 9-week internship program the General Counsel Intern will:
· Work closely with the General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel in drafting legal memoranda and museum
contracts, conduct legal research, attend client meetings and other applicable hearings/court matters based on
current museum needs.
· Complete an in-depth, legal research and writing project.
· Draft a full vendor agreement, or other standard museum contract, from beginning to end.
· Draft and amend museum contracts for a broad variety of museum departments.
· Gain experience communicating legal advice to in-house clients.
· Attend regular intern programs and presentations at the Museum to further understanding of museum careers
and the context of the Museum’s legal work.
Educational Objectives
· To gain understanding of legal issues in museum administration, including, for example, copyright, trademark,
labor, employment, governance, tax, contracts, and fine arts insurance issues.
· To sharpen legal research, writing/drafting, and communication skills.
· To gain practical experience in transactional and litigation matters.
Additional Internship Programming
The Summer 2026 Internship will offer 9-weeks of hands-on experience and mentorship along with weekly presentations and discussions with various departments in the museum, off-site educational visits within the Bay Area community, and access to various tours and events within the museum.
Requirements
· Must have a Bachelor’s Degree; first or second year student at accredited U.S. law school, or a recent graduate.
SFMOMA recognizes a graduation date within 6 months of the internship start date as a recent graduate.
· If you are a current employee of the SFMOMA, applying for an internship, you must be a current student or a
recent graduate, within 6 months of the internship start date.
$7,000 - $7,000 one-time
Pre-tax stipend paid out in a one-lump sum after start date
*TAX WITHHOLDING: For certain non-US residents and non-CA residents, any payments that constitute taxable income under U.S. tax law may be subject to up to 30% federal and 7% state tax withholding (or the current applicable rates), and so any payments you receive may be reduced accordingly. Please consult with your tax advisor regarding the tax treatment of your stipend from this internship.
Application Requirements
· Intern application on SFMOMA job site
· Legal writing sample
· Resume, in PDF format
· Cover letter stating the specific internship of interest, in PDF format
· Describe the experience you bring, why you are interested in museum or nonprofit work, reasons for
applying to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and your goals for the internship.
· Two letters of recommendation from either a college professor or current/former employer, in PDF format
· College/university transcript, in PDF format
· Transcripts can be unofficial but must be legible
· If you are currently enrolled in a master's or PhD program, please provide the transcript for your current
program, not your undergraduate transcript
Application Deadline: February 6, 2026
Please note: You only need two letters of recommendation total, not separate letters for each internship. If you apply to multiple internships (up to three), simply inform your recommenders which positions you’re applying for. We’ll review the same two letters across all your applications.
Location: San Francisco, 151 3rd Street.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
SFMOMA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. No person shall be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, genetic information, ancestry/national origin, marital status, disability, medical condition, HIV status, sexual orientation, veteran/military status, and any other category protected by federal of state law.
You may request reasonable accommodation if you are unable to or are limited in your ability to access job postings or provide additional information asked in the job posting.
You can request reasonable accommodation by contacting the People Team at talent@sfmoma.org.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
