Fall 2026 Fellowship Sponsorship, Reproductive Freedom Project

New York, New York, United States

 

ABOUT THE JOB 
 
The ACLU invites rising third-year law students and recent law graduates to apply to work with the Reproductive Freedom Project as a Legal Fellow beginning in the fall of 2026 through a sponsored fellowship such as Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst, or other public interest fellowships. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements in New York of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. 

The ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project envisions a world that respects and supports each of us in making deeply personal decisions that determine the shape of our lives: with whom to form intimate relationships, and whether, when, and how to have children. In the world we see, we can all get the health care and other resources necessary to have a child, to prevent pregnancy, or to have an abortion—regardless of where we live, our income, race, age, gender identity, immigration status or whom we love.

For five decades, the ACLU has been a leader in the efforts to ensure that every person has access to affordable and stigma-free abortion care. Since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, the ACLU has brought dozens of lawsuits seeking to preserve and expand access to abortion. Current cases include challenges to abortion bans and restrictions in states like Arizona, Georgia, and Missouri; challenges to policies that seek to prevent people from traveling to get an abortion; and cases using new state constitutional amendments to strike abortion restrictions and expand access. The ACLU is also a leader on efforts to preserve and expand access to medication abortion and brought the case that led to the FDA lifting rules that prevented people from receiving their medication through the mail.

In the current environment, the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project is preparing to challenge new efforts by the Trump Administration to restrict access to abortion, including efforts to restrict access to medication abortion, prevent people from obtaining emergency abortions, misapply federal laws to shut down abortion care, and to decimate our nation’s family planning program.

The Reproductive Freedom Project’s work extends beyond abortion and contraception. For example, the ACLU is currently litigating a case in Alabama – a state with woefully insufficient maternity care and appallingly high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality – which enabled the first free standing birth centers to obtain licenses and begin serving patients.

The ACLU is unique among reproductive rights organizations in that it works with the ACLU’s nationwide network of state affiliates as well as attorneys and advocates in the organization who specialize in areas such as LGBT rights, criminal defense, immigrants’ rights, racial justice, disability rights, and freedom of speech and religion.

We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by June 25, 2025. 
 
This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU). 
 
WHAT YOU'LL DO 
 
Reporting to the Deputy Project Director the Fellow will be focused on: 
 
 
YOUR DAY TO DAY 
  • Conduct legal research and analysis and develop theories to support new litigation projects 
  • Draft legal memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, motions, and briefs 
  • Work with clients and witnesses 
  • Engage with both internal and external members of litigation teams 
  • Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials 
  • Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys 
  • Help manage summer legal internship program and supervise student interns 
  • Engage in public speaking and attend meetings and/or conferences as needed 
 
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 working collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts 
 
WHAT YOU'LL BRING 
  • J.D. or expected to receive a J.D. by the spring of 2026 
  • Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, civil liberties, reproductive rights and justice 
  • Willingness to work closely with the Reproductive Freedom Project through the funding application process 
  • Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills 
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis 
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team 
  • Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks and see projects through to completion 
 
COMPENSATION 
 
The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances). 
 
  • 0-2 years since law school graduation: $92,374-$115,393 
  • 3-5 years since law school graduation: $129,244-$152,480 
  • 6-10 years since law school graduation: $159,461- $179,891 
  • 11-15 years since law school graduation: $183,255-$193,657 
  • 16-20 years since law school graduation: $195,485-$200,519 
  • 21-25 years since law school graduation: $201,534-$205,663 
  • 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $206,654- $210,677 
The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY where are National Offices are headquartered.  Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.   
 
For details on our pay structure, please visit: 
 
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. 
We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.  
At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include: 
  • Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy 
  • Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment) 
  • Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match 
  • We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops 
 
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, accessibility, 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, anti-ableism, 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 benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process. 

 

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Writing Sample *

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Please include a legal research memo or a section of a brief. 

At the ACLU, we deeply value diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We actively work to ensure that we are addressing everyone appropriately and that we’re acknowledging their identity as they would like. Examples of common pronouns are 'she/her/hers,' 'he/him/his,' and 'they/them/theirs.' This is optional, but if you’re comfortable, please share your pronouns.

Select...

Please share how you heard about the job. This information will be kept confidential and shared only with our Human Resources department for tracking purposes.

Select...

Race and/or Ethnicity

 

 

Select...

 

Gender

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are committed to equal opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. To help us measure how well we are doing, we are asking you to tell us if you have a disability or if you ever had a disability. Completing this form is voluntary, but we hope that you will choose to fill it out. If you are applying for a job, any answer you give will be kept private and will not be used against you in any way.

If you already work for us, your answer will not be used against you in any way. Because a person may become disabled at any time, we are required to ask all of our employees to update their information every five years. You may voluntarily self-identify as having a disability on this form without fear of any punishment because you did not identify as having a disability earlier.

How do I know if I have a disability?

You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition.

Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Blindness
  • Deafness
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Epilepsy
  • Autism
  • Cerebral palsy
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Schizophrenia
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Major depression
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Impairments requiring the use of a wheelchair
  • Intellectual disability (previously called mental retardation)

Disability Status:

Select...

Disability diversity in the workplace includes people with significant disabilities. A “significant disability” is one that is associated with particularly low employment rates. The federal government has recognized that individuals with certain disabilities, particularly manifest disabilities, face barriers to employment above and beyond the barriers faced by people with the broader range of disabilities. See Questions and Answers: The EEOC's Final Rule on Affirmative Action for People with Disabilities in Federal Employment, (https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/qanda-ada-disabilities-final-rule.cfm). The ACLU’s affirmative action plan for people with disabilities includes an overall goal for people with a broad range of disabilities, and a “subgoal” for people with significant disabilities.

Select...

Veteran Status

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in ACLU - National Office’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.