Fall 2026 Legal Intern, Litigation Department

The ACLU seeks a Legal Intern in the General Legal, Litigation Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York City or San Francisco, CA. This position can be remote or hybrid.

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated legal students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.

Our team supports the ACLU’s National Legal Director. In addition to overseeing the ACLU’s litigation department, the National Legal Director supervises all of the ACLU’s work before the United States Supreme Court, including merits cases, petitions for certiorari, and amicus work.

We are looking for an intern to support all facets of the ACLU’s work across at the Supreme Court. The intern’s case load will likely span a range of issue areas, including voting rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration, presidential power, and free speech. Specific tasks will include legal research, argument development, brief drafting, and assistance with long-term planning and strategy projects. Additionally, the intern will gain exposure to the ACLU’s advocacy strategy development and coalition management efforts for cases pending before or possibly headed toward the U.S. Supreme Court. You’ll report to the staff attorney who works across the ACLU’s Supreme Court docket.

• Conduct legal research and analysis to support new and active litigation projects 
• Aid in drafting of legal memoranda, motions, and briefs 
• Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys 

• This Internship is open to students who are in law school. Interns should possess the following:

  • Completion of 1L year of law school by summer 2026; preference for candidates who will have already completed their 2L year
  • Excellent research skills, including conducting internet and legal database research 
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and writing 
  • Attention to detail, excellent organization and time-management skills 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite 
  • The initiative to see projects through to completion 
  • Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, civil liberties, and racial justice 
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis
  • Kindness, generosity, and humility

• Experience drafting briefs before the United States Supreme Court
• Familiarity with or previous experience working on one or more of the following topics: Section 1983 litigation; immigration law; LGBTQ rights; free speech; administrative law; national security law; structural constitutional law.

• 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

• 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 New York City or San Francisco, CA office.
• Time Commitment: This internship is part time (10, 15 or 20 hrs/week)
• Internship Duration: Fall part-time internships span 12 consecutive weeks with a start date of September 8 or September 21.
• Stipend: This internship will be for course credit only. This internship must be tied to the intern’s formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.

While there is a priority deadline, our project is committed to reviewing all applications on a rolling basis until the closing of posting.

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.