Summer 2026 Legal Intern, Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief

About the Role

The ACLU seeks a Summer Legal Intern in the Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, D.C.

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 Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief works to safeguard the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty by ensuring that laws and governmental practices neither promote religion nor interfere with its free exercise. Building on the ACLU’s century of work defending these constitutional principles, the Program employs an integrated strategy of litigation, public education, and advocacy. Summer interns will have the opportunity to gain meaningful legal experience by assisting PFRB's attorneys in various aspects of litigation, from developing new cases to researching and writing briefs at the district-court and appellate-court levels. Interns will gain exposure to a variety of prominent religious-freedom issues.

What You’ll Do:

Summer interns will learn about all aspects of the Program’s work, including litigation, public education, and advocacy, and will gain experience through a variety of assignments.

Your Day to Day:

• Drafting memoranda, affidavits, and briefs.
• Conducting legal and policy research.
• Researching prospects for new litigation, including factual and legal claims.
• Researching and drafting materials for public education.
• Tracking and analyzing legislative bills.

What You'll Bring:

• The summer internship is open to law students who will have completed at least one year of law school before the summer of 2026. Interns should possess the following:

  • Excellent research, writing, analytical, and communication skills.
  • The initiative to see projects through to completion.
  • The ability to work with a wide range of people.
  • A strong interest in and commitment to civil rights and civil liberties and the ACLU’s mission.
  • A dedication to diversity within the office, using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and socio-economic circumstance.
  • The ability to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts and to center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work.

  In their cover letter, applicants should discuss their interest in religion and civil liberties, including any relevant life or work experience gained before or during 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 conflicts

Internship Logistics

• Location: This summer internship is hybrid and will be based out of the ACLU's Washington D.C. office.
• Time Commitment: Summer internships require a full-time (35 hours/week) commitment.
• Internship Duration: Full-time summer internships span 10 consecutive weeks with a start date of May 26th or June 8th.
• 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. 

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity & 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.