Northeastern is the only law school in the nation with a required full-time Cooperative Legal Education Program. Under this program, all students are required to complete four 11-week legal internships ("co-ops") of at least 35 hours per week during their second and third years of law school. Students perform these internships in a variety of settings, including government agencies, legal services offices, public defenders, advocacy organizations, private law firms, unions and corporations.

In 1994, the law school instituted a Public Interest Requirement. All students must complete either a public interest co-op, one of the law school's clinical courses, a 30-hour pro bono legal project in a public interest setting or with a private firm, or a public interest independent study. Approximately 85 percent of each graduating class satisfies the requirement by completing a public interest co-op with a legal services, public defender, nonprofit advocacy group or government agency. Members of the class of 2006 contributed more than 115,000 hours to public service through their co-op placements.