Summer 2026 Legal Intern, Internal Operations- Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives, Legal Policy and Legislative

The ACLU seeks a Legal Intern for their Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives Department's (ASNI) Legal Policy and Legislative area. This internship is hybrid.

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 Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives Department (ASNI) builds state capacity and strengthens and maintains the connections between the ACLU and its network of 54 state affiliates and the 1,500 staff who work out of the state offices. Their work constitutes an unparalleled bulwark in the defending and advancing of civil liberties and civil rights. The Department staff lead efforts to share knowledge, talent, and skill across the organization, building the next generation of civil rights leaders and positioning the organization for future challenges. The Internal Operations team supports ACLU Affiliates nationwide by streamlining operational functions within Affiliates, especially as they connect with operational departments in the national organization. The team also supports operational processes within the ASNI department, including managing annual surveys, supporting budgeting processes, and organizing information and file sharing. Finally, the Internal Operations team also leads on in-person events for National and Affiliates as well as manages the Grants-to-Affiliates program.

What You’ll Do:

The intern 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.  Legal policy interns with the ACLU of Puerto Rico have a unique opportunity to work on innovative civil liberties and civil rights policy. This includes efforts, among others, related to: Criminal justice, First Amendment, LGBT rights, Voting rights, Reproductive freedom and women’s rights. 

Your Day to Day

• Draft memoranda and briefs for legislative presentations and sessions
• Research for educational proposals and legislative briefs
• Assist in the collaboration of special reports
• Verification of legal citation
• Conduct administrative and support tasks for Policy Counsel
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes.  

What You’ll Bring:

• Enthusiastic commitment to work for civil rights and liberties
• Excellent communication, research and writing skills
• Fully bilingual (Spanish/English)
• Abilities to work both independently and as a team
• Applicant must be a law degree student who has finished first year of law school 

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 is full-time and hybrid from our Puerto Rico office.
• Time Commitment: Full-time (35 hours/week)
• Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks. This internship has a start date of: May 26 or June 8th
• 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 is the stipend rate:
    
    • $24/hr 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.

In order to be considered for this position, all candidates must formally submit an application. The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.