Summer 2025 Legal Intern, National Prison Project

The ACLU seeks a Legal Intern for its National Prison Project of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC. 

The Team: 

The National Prison Project works to ensure that conditions in prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, and immigration detention facilities comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and international human rights principles. The Project has successfully litigated on behalf of incarcerated people in more than 25 states and is the only organization litigating conditions of confinement cases nationwide. Our priorities include reducing overcrowding, improving health care, eliminating violence and maltreatment, and increasing oversight and accountability in prisons, jails, and other places of detention. We also work to reverse the policies that have given the United States the highest incarceration rate in the world and led to extreme over-representation of people of color in the incarcerated population.   

What You’ll Do: 

The interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working with the National Prison Project team. They will learn about creating change through prison reform litigation and advocacy work. 

Your Day to Day 

• Drafting legal memorandum, affidavits, and briefing  

• Assisting with the drafting, production and distribution of advocacy and public education materials  

• Conducting factual and legal / policy research and writing regarding the rights of incarcerated people and legislative movement  

• Researching and drafting prospects for new litigation and / or campaign advocacy  

• Gathering, analyzing and synthesizing current information related to prison and jail conditions  

• Providing campaign and litigation support to supervising attorneys  

What You’ll Bring:

• Please note: This opportunity is available for current law students who will have completed one year of law school before the internship commences.
• Second- and third-year law school students pursuing a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school 
• A demonstrated / strong interest in the rights of incarcerated people and a commitment to civil rights
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently as well as in a team. Ability to foster and contribute to a collaborative team environment is essential
• Excellent legal research, writing, and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex legal analytical work
• Strong computer skills, particularly web-based research including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel)

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 conflict 

Internship Logistics: 

• Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship can be remote or hybrid from our DC office. 

• Time Commitment: Term-time internships may be completed on a part-time basis (10, 15, or 20 hours/week) or full-time (35 hours/week) Summer internships require a full-time commitment.

• Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks and part-time 12 weeks. This internship will begin either May 27 or June 9, 2025.

• Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit. Below are the stipend rates: 

• $20/hour for undergraduate students or equivalent experience  

• $24/hour for graduate and law students or equivalent experience 

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. 

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us. 

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.