Summer 2025 Legal Intern, National Political and Advocacy Department, Immigration

The ACLU seeks a Legal Intern in the National Political and Advocacy Department (Immigration) of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC. This position is remote.

 

The Team: 

The National Policy and Advocacy (NPAD) National Campaigns team works to craft and advance the ACLU’s immigrants’ rights national campaigns. The team also supports ACLU affiliates in their immigrants’ rights campaigns, including State and local level legislative priorities. Current priorities are focused on but not limited to mitigating harm caused by the Trump Administration’s deportation agenda and slowing the advancement of anti-immigrant bills in Congress, such as attacks on State and local so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions and the asylum system. We also work to dismantle the most harmful aspects of our immigration system – such as the detention system – that lead to the worst outcomes for immigrants and their families.  

 

What You’ll Do: 

The interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working with the NPAD immigration team. They will learn about creating change through integrated advocacy and strategies to mitigate harm across an array of immigrants’ rights issues. 

 

Your Day to Day 

• Assisting with the drafting, production and distribution of advocacy and public education materials  

• Conducting factual and policy research and writing regarding immigrants’ rights policies and legislative movement  

• Researching and drafting prospects for campaign advocacy in response to ongoing and emerging threats to immigrants’ rights 

• Gathering, analyzing and synthesizing current information related to immigration and immigration detention  

• Researching State and local policy work in support of ACLU affiliate campaigns 

 

What You’ll Bring: 

• A demonstrated / strong interest in the rights of immigrants and a commitment to civil rights  

• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently as well as in a team.   

• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills  

• Strong computer skills, particularly web-based research including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel) 

 

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 can be remote or hybrid and based in our DC 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 27th or June 9th 2025.

• 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 are the stipend rates: 

• $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 benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. 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.