UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE or LEGAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The ACLU seeks an Undergraduate, Legal or Graduate Intern in the National Political Advocacy Department – State Campaigns team of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC.

The Team:

The National Political Advocacy Department (NPAD) works to strengthen the efforts of the ACLU at the federal, state, and local levels of government. The department harnesses the political power that comes from having more than eight million members and supporters, as well as affiliates in every state. By organizing grassroots lobbying and issue campaigns using modern tactics, the ACLU seeks to achieve change as profound in the legislative, administrative and electoral arenas as it has accomplished through the courts.

The State Campaigns team is responsible for formulating, developing and executing State Campaigns across the country in key issue areas including, but not limited to: Reproductive Justice, Voting Rights, Privacy and Technology, Immigrants’ Rights, First Amendment Rights and Smart Justice.

What You’ll Do:

The intern will be responsible for supporting the work of the State Campaigns Team. In order to better support advocacy and campaigns throughout the nation, each of the 50 states (as well as Washington, DC and Puerto Rico) are categorized into one of five regions. Each region is comprised of a diverse set of states with varying political environments in which we may do defensive or proactive policy work. Your role on the team may involve supporting ballot initiative campaigns, implementing tactics for voter turnout in key states, and helping the regional lead in special projects as they arise.

Your Day to Day

• Conduct research and analysis to support state campaign projects and efforts
• Assist your regional team in developing persuasive and informative outreach materials, including fact sheets, talking points, and campaign plans
• Support the Regional Lead in special projects and meetings
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes

What You’ll Bring:

• Excellent research, writing, analytical, and communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced and remote environment
• Manage your time effectively to meet deadlines on projects
• Demonstrate curiosity and focus toward problem-solving that allow you to ask questions when you don’t have the full context and find effective solutions
• Excitement toward electoral work and strengthening civil rights and civil liberties around the country

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 isremote.
• Time Commitment: Summer internships require a full-time commitment of 35 hours per week.
• Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks beginning May 28 or June 10, 2024.
• Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work and do not receive compensation from other sources. Students with external funding may receive a partial stipend to bring their total funding up to the level of the ACLU’s stipend amount for that term. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit. Below are the stipend rates:
  • $20/hour forundergraduate students or equivalent experience
  • $24/hour for graduate and law students or equivalent experience

Priority Application Deadline: March 8, 2024

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 from government abuse and overreach.

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 makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

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.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.