New

Fall 2026 Fellowship Sponsorship, Women's Rights Project

New York, New York, United States

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU invites rising third-year law students and law graduates to apply for a sponsorship opportunity to work with us as a Legal Fellow for up to two years. The Women’s Rights Project of the National office in New York, NY seeks applicants to consider for a sponsored fellowship such as Equal Justice Works or other public interest fellowships to begin in the fall of 2026. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

Since its founding by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1972, the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project has been a trailblazer in fighting for gender equity under law. We engage in systemic legal reform to ensure that everyone has the freedom to live, work, and learn free from stereotypes, harassment, and violence based on sex. Our recent work includes challenging employment rules that penalize workers for their pregnancies or push them out of the paid workforce altogether, challenging sex-specific dress codes in schools and at work, winning a historic settlement against Facebook for targeting ads for jobs, housing, and credit only at men, and fighting the mass eviction crisis and other unfair housing practices that disproportionately lock out women, particularly Black women, from housing opportunities.

Applicants for host sponsorship will be asked to submit an idea for a project proposal with their applications. Your proposal need not be fully formed, as our staff will work with the selected fellowship candidate to develop their proposal for submission, but we would like to see how you articulate and propose tackling an important gender justice issue.

We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by June 20, 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 Legal Fellow will be involved in developing litigation and advocacy strategies around the Fellow’s project proposal. The Fellow will also contribute to the Women’s Rights Project’s other programmatic work.
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
  • Interview witnesses and potential clients
  • Participate in discovery and trial practice
  • 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 work 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, and gender justice
  • Willingness to work closely with Women's Rights Project through the funding application process 
  • Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills 
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding 
  • 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. 

 

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