About the Role

The ACLU seeks a Summer Legal Intern in the Criminal Law Reform Project of the ACLU’s National office. This is a hybrid position based out of our National Office in New York, NY or Washington, DC.

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated legal students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.

The Team

The Criminal Law Reform Project advocates for the constitutional and civil rights of those impacted by criminal legal systems. We use litigation and advocacy to confront systemic government conduct that fuels the carceral state and police abuse, and oppresses people based on race, class, and other characteristics. CLRP does this work because everyone suspected, accused, or convicted of a crime deserves dignity, fairness, and an opportunity to thrive. Ultimately, we seek to shift power to under-resourced communities and to elevate approaches to justice and safety that advance fundamental rights for all.

The Project’s current priorities are combatting police violence while bolstering individual rights against police authority; protecting the fundamental right to pretrial liberty; eliminating excessive conditions of post release supervision; and creating robust public defense systems to guarantee the constitutional right to counsel. CLRP works closely with the ACLU’s National Political Advocacy Department, our Communications Department, and our affiliates to advance an affirmative vision for criminal legal system reform.

What You’ll Do

The intern will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the team and assisting in factual investigation, and legal research and writing to advance our litigation and integrated advocacy.

Your Day to Day

Interns will support CLRP litigation work and integrated advocacy across our priority areas. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

Legal research
Legal writing, such as memos and portions of court submissions
Fact investigation
Support in preparation for and during court cases, such as depositions, oral argument, hearings, or trial

What You'll Bring

The internship is open to students enrolled at U.S. law schools who will have completed at least one year of law school before the internship commences. Interns should possess the following:

Excellent research skills, including conducting internet and legal database research
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and writing
Attention to detail, excellent organizing and time-management skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
The initiative to see projects through to completion
A commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justice

Future ACLU'ers Will

Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

Internship Logistics

Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship is hybrid based in our National Office in New York, NY or Washington, DC.
Time Commitment: This internship is full-time (35 hrs/wk) for a duration of 10 consecutive weeks.
Internship Duration: This internship has a start date of May 24 or June 7.
Stipend: A stipend is available for those students who are lawfully authorized to work. Students who receive outside funding are eligible for a partial stipend to bring their total funding up to the level of the ACLU’s stipend amount for the summer. Legal interns receive a stipend amount of $24/hour (stipends are taxed)

Why the ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.