Summer 2025 Legal Intern, National Security Project

The ACLU seeks a Legal Intern in the Legal Department – National Security Project of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. 

The Team:

The National Security Project fights for people and communities harmed by the government in the name of national security. Recognizing the danger of expansive claims of state power, we advocate for a robust system of checks and balances, and policies that comply with the Constitution, civil liberties, and human rights. Through the courts, Congress, and public education, we strive to ensure that people are able to participate fully in civic life and are free from discrimination, unwarranted suspicion and surveillance, unlawful force and detention, and the stigma and other injustices that result from these abuses.

What You’ll Do:

The intern will be responsible for supporting the National Security Project’s legal and advocacy work over the course of the summer.  

Your Day to Day:

• Conducting legal and policy research
• Drafting memoranda, affidavits, and briefs
• Researching prospects for new litigation, including both factual and legal claims
• Researching and drafting materials for public education
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned

What You’ll Bring:

The internship is open to law students 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
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• The ability to analyze complex legal issues
• The initiative to see projects through to completion
• A commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and social justice, particularly as they relate to national security
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU

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: This internship is a hybrid position in our NY National Office. Interns will be expected to work in-person in the NY National Office at least two days per week during the 10-week internship. Please note that if the ACLU’s hybrid work requirements change prior to the start of the summer internship program, this requirement may be adjusted.
• Time Commitment: Summer internships require a full-time commitment (35 hours per week)
• Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks. This internship will begin either May 27 or June 9, 2025.
• Stipend: The internship is available for course credit and/or a stipend. A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work. Students with external funding may receive a partial stipend to bring their total funding up to the level of the ACLU’s stipend amount for that term. 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

Application Deadline: Applications strongly preferred by November 1, 2024. We will consider applications submitted on a rolling basis through at least December 1, 2024.

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.