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ACLU-NBLSA Southern Legal Internship Program 2026

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About the ACLU and the Southern Collective

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees. For over 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities 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, advancing racial justice, 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 and civil rights cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With nearly two million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, and record of arrest or conviction.

In 2019, the ACLU launched the Southern Collective (SoColl), a collaborative multi-state initiative project of the national office and the ACLU affiliates of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Collective works to address the challenges in the South that are rooted in its unique history of racial oppression and violence and equally remarkable history of civil rights struggles and victories. It focuses on advancing high-impact, collaborative initiatives across the region to pave the way for racial justice nationwide.

About NBLSA

For over 50 years, the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) has sought to increase the number of culturally responsible Black and minority attorneys who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community; to instill in the Black law student a greater commitment to the needs of the Black community; and to influence the legal community by bringing about meaningful legal and political change that addresses the needs and concerns of the Black community.

About the ACLU-NBLSA Southern Legal Internship Program

The ACLU has partnered with NBLSA to deepen the bench of talented, passionate, and committed civil rights and social justice attorneys in the South. The Southern Legal Internship Program (SLIP) will place legal interns at ACLU affiliates in each of the 13 states in the ACLU's Southern Collective. SLIP interns will contribute to crucial legal, policy, and organizing campaigns in the issue areas that most affect Black and Brown communities in the region, including voting rights, educational equity, gender justice, and criminal legal reform.

For more information about the priority areas and campaigns at ACLU affiliates in the Southern Collective, please visit their websites: 

ACLU of Alabama

ACLU of Arkansas

ACLU of Florida

ACLU of Georgia

ACLU Kentucky

ACLU of Louisiana

ACLU of Mississippi

ACLU of North Carolina

ACLU of South Carolina

ACLU Tennessee

ACLU of Texas

ACLU of Virginia

ACLU West Virginia

 

Program Overview

  • Time Commitment: Full-time (35 hours/week) for 10 weeks in Summer 2026 (likely beginning June 1 or June 15, 2026)
  • Compensation: $8,400
  • Location: One SLIP intern will be hired by each of the ACLU Southern Collective affiliates. Until further notice, it is preferred that SLIP interns will report for in-person work (likely on a hybrid basis with some amount of remote and in-person work) at affiliate offices alongside ACLU employees. Each affiliate sets its own policies regarding any mandatory in-person work requirements.
  • Orientation: Before the internship begins, SLIP interns will participate in an orientation with their cohort and staff from ACLU National and Southern Collective offices. The date and format of the orientation (including whether it will be held virtually or in person) are TBD. Travel to and from the orientation and lodging will be provided by the ACLU.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

  • Legal, policy, and administrative/regulatory research
  • Drafting legal documents
  • Drafting public-facing documents, e.g. know-your-rights documents or awareness-raising materials
  • Participating in client intake
  • Other projects as assigned based on affiliate placement

 

Qualifications

  • Current law student at the time of application (graduating no earlier than December 2026)
  • Member of the National Black Law Students Association OR membership in your law school’s Black Law Student Association chapter. o You can register for NBLSA at this link: https://nationalblsa.wildapricot.org/join-us
  • Strong research and writing skills
  • Highly organized with strong attention to detail
  • Proficiency with Microsoft programs, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Ability to take initiative, think creatively, problem solve, and take ownership of projects and assignments
  • Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills and ability to be a team player
  • Commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and social justice

Please note that specific expectations will vary based on affiliate placement.

 

How to Apply

  • To apply, use this link to submit: (1) a cover letter (1 page maximum), (2) a résumé, (3) a writing sample (10 pages maximum), and (4) proof of NBLSA or local BLSA chapter membership through the Greenhouse application link in this post.
  • You will also be able to indicate the ACLU affiliates to which you want to apply.
  • Application Requirement: Please label each of your materials with your full name when you upload them (ex. First Name Last Name - Resume)

PRIORITY deadline*: Friday, October 31, 2025

FINAL deadline: Friday, November 28, 2025

* We strongly encourage you to apply by the priority deadline*

More Information

If you have questions or want more information about SLIP, please email SLIPinfo@aclu.org or Allison Shelnut at ashelnut@aclu.org

 

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