Summer 2025 Paid Legal Intern, Policy, Legislative and Litigation

The ACLU of Puerto Rico seeks a Legal Intern in the Legal Litigation, Policy and Legislative area of the ACLU Puerto Rico office. This is a hybrid role based out of the ACLU Puerto Rico office.

The Team:

ACLU of Puerto Rico fights against violations of the civil liberties guaranteed by our legal system. We fight against these violations wherever and whenever necessary. Most of our clients are ordinary citizens who have suffered injustice and have chosen to fight back. We also work actively fighting to ensure that constitutional guarantees and statutes that secure the civil rights of citizens are not merely a "parchment barrier" against the oppression and tyranny of the majority. This includes efforts, among others, related to: Criminal justice, First Amendment, LGBT rights, voting rights, reproductive freedom and women’s rights.

What you’ll do:

The intern will assist the Policy Counsel in legislative and policy matters and/or the Legal Director during discovery and litigation, among other related tasks. Will be responsible for analyzing the constitutionality of pending legislation, creating and updating policy issue briefs and policy related legal memos, assisting in legislative reports, and researching as needed.

Your day to day

• Draft memoranda and briefs for legislative presentations and sessions
• Research for educational proposals and legislative briefs
• Verification of legal citation
• Conduct administrative and support tasks for Policy Counsel
• Engage in interviews during the intake process
• Research; news analysis; legal research and drafting of legal documents. (Westlaw and Microjuris)
• Drafting motions and briefs in cases pending before courts

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.
• Enthusiastic commitment to work for civil rights and liberties.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently as well as in a team.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and communication skills.
• Strong computer skills, particularly web-based research including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel).
• Fully bilingual (Spanish/English)

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 in-person, remote, or hybrid intern positions. This internship is a hybrid position from our Puerto Rico 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 has a start date of May 27 or June 9, 2025.
• Stipend: A stipend is available for this position. Below is the stipend breakdown by term:
  
  • $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 accommodations for the interview process.

The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.