Frequently Asked Questions

The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) is an organization of attorneys and other professionals, including engineers, consultants, economists, and government officials, involved in the development, interpretation, and practice of technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) law and policy. More than 1,800 members strong, the FCBA has been the leading organization for communications lawyers and other professionals since 1936.

The FCBA TMT Law & Policy Pipeline Program (Pipeline Program) is an internship and legal skills development program that facilitates access to paid internship opportunities for students following their first year of law school and with the goal of establishing a pipeline for such students to long-term careers in TMT law and policy.

TMT law is an exciting, expansive, and quickly evolving area of the law. TMT law touches every facet of our lives with the tremendous growth of the internet and cutting-edge next-generation communications and technologies. It includes all aspects of the broadly-defined communications industry, such as media, internet, entertainment, broadband, and spectrum; new and emerging technologies, such as 5G, 10G, satellite, connected devices, and artificial intelligence; and substantive legal areas, such as intellectual property, administrative law, antitrust, cybersecurity, privacy, and civil rights.

Application materials will be available on September 15, 2025. The application period will close at midnight on October 20, 2025. Student screening and interviews will occur in November 2025 and placements will be finalized in December 2025.

No. The FCBA TMT Law & Policy Pipeline Program is a competitive internship program that attracts,
develops, and supports elite TMT lawyers with varied backgrounds and perspectives. Qualified applications will be reviewed by the TMT Selection Committee, which is composed of the co- chairs of the TMT Law & policy Pipeline Committee and select members of the FCBA membership and FCBA Executive Committee.

No. Applicants must be first year students enrolled in a full-time law degree program in an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school. LLM students interested in opportunities that the FCBA TMT Law & Policy Pipeline Program may have should reach out to TMTpipeline@fcba.org.

The TMT Selection Committee will endeavor to make agreeable matches between Employer
Participants and Student Participants. While many admitted applicants will be placed with an Employer Participant, the TMT Selection Committee does not guarantee that every student selected for the Pipeline Program will receive an internship offer. The TMT Selection Committee will work with FCBA- affiliated and other organizations to provide other support (e.g., stipends for other internship opportunities) to admitted applicants who are not placed with Employer Participants through the Internship Program.

Yes! 1L students are not expected to have had prior coursework specific to TMT law and policy. Rather, the application will be based in part on your personal statement explaining why you are interested in the TMT field. The Pipeline Program will provide Student Participants with an academic component in the spring that will include introductory virtual sessions in TMT law and policy. The academic component will also cover various practical skills such as legal writing and offer participants mentoring.

All Student Participants who secure an internship through the Internship Program must successfully complete all requirements of the FCBA TMT Law & Policy Certificate Program, including attend a majority (75%) of the virtual learning sessions. The Certificate Program available (optional) for students who are not selected for an internship, but interested in deepening their understanding of TMT law and policy, to possibly attract other employers. Students who miss more than 75% of the sessions will not be able to receive a TMT Certificate. Students may have the opportunity to watch recorded sessions for review; in the event they miss a session.

The virtual learning sessions will be held on Saturdays, February through April 2026 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Specifics date will be announced in January 2026. Students will also participate in a mock writing and presentation advocacy exercise around mid-April.

Your materials should strive to highlight your interest in TMT law and policy, including coursework, prior work experience, or extracurricular interests. Your personal statement is a good way to showcase your interest to employers. What do you find most interesting about the TMT field? What legal issues are most fascinating to you? Why are you interested in pursuing a FCBA TMT Law & Policy Pipeline Program opportunity? What will the opportunity help you achieve? The employers are looking for 1L students who are interested in, and eager to learn more about, the TMT field. Your personal statement is where you can shine!