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Has anyone ever obtained a position, or at least found it easier to later obtain a position, through interning at a legal aid organization (post-graduation)? That is, is it impossible to get such a position without going through one of the standard fellowships (EJW, etc.)? I already have some experience at such organizations, and have decent grades from a T14. I'm just wondering if I were to spend say, close to a year interning, if that would help put me in a decent position to one day get hired by that organization or a similar one, or if they only take people from fellowships. I know that unlike firms, they generally require some significant experience up front. I'm just wondering how much and in what form. (I mean public interest nonprofits, not government like PD/DA.)

Last winter break I did my pro bono at a D.C. non-profit legal aid type of organization. That organization has one director, two staff attorneys and one fellowship holder; three to four unpaid, part-time interns plus me as a two-week temp. Both staff attorneys were hired right out of school and both volunteered at the organization during their law school years (summer or part-time the whole year). One intern graduated from Georgetown in 2011, worked as an intern at several legal aid agencies, had another part-time job as a workload manager at some kind of legal outsourcing entity, and had not had any luck with full-time employment at a law firm. But he still came to "volunteer" at that organization to keep up his hope.

If you cannot find a full time position at a law firm within one year of your graduation, you may never have a chance to find one later one. Sadly this statement seems very true. As for non-profit agencies, it might be the same since there will always be fresh blood from law school every year.