You must have strong research, communication, and organizational skills, as well as a commitment to civil liberties and racial justice, to be a Fall 2024 Legal Intern at ACLU's Criminal Law Reform Project. Valid work authorization required for stipend.

You will support CLRP litigation and advocacy through legal research, writing, fact investigation, court case preparation, and special projects while upholding values of equity and inclusion.

Legal

United States

New York

Medium

The ACLU is an non-profit, non-partisan organization of people who believe in the power of action. We are united by the quest – “We the people dare to create a more perfect union.” 

Whether in the courts, statehouses, Congress or communities, we fight to defend the rights that the Constitution guarantees to all of us —regardless of who we are, where we come from, whom we love, or what we believe. 

Together, we take up the toughest civil rights and liberties challenges of our time. We seek to inspire those who want change to become the ones who make change. 

Non-profit

ACLU

Non-profit sector 

We the people dare to create a more perfect union.

<ul><li>The ACLU seeks Legal Interns in the Criminal Law Reform Project (CLRP) in the Legal Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY (hybrid). Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the team and assisting in all aspects of litigation and other advocacy.</li></ul>The Team:<ul><li>CLRP seeks to end policies that fuel mass incarceration and over-criminalization. To these ends, CLRP focuses primarily on advocating for reform in policing, pretrial practices, public defense, sentencing, and supervision systems. We fulfill our mission through strategic litigation and advocacy that promotes meaningful change. Key priorities are ending unjust pretrial detention, along with exploitative and oppressive conditions of release; eliminating unconstitutional and racially-biased police practices; and catalyzing robust public defense systems. CLRP works closely with the ACLU’s National Political Advocacy Department to build a movement for social change, promote racial justice, and win reforms needed to significantly cut the size of our nation’s incarcerated population.</li></ul>What You'll Do:<ul><li>Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the team and assisting in factual investigation, and legal research and writing to advance our litigation and integrated advocacy.</li></ul>Your Day to Day:Interns will support CLRP litigation work and integrated advocacy across our priority areas. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:<ul><li>Legal research</li><li>Legal writing, such as memos and portions of court submissions</li><li>Fact investigation</li><li>Support in preparation for and during court cases, such as depositions, oral argument, hearings, or trial</li><li>Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned</li><li>Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes</li></ul>What You'll Bring:The internship is open to students enrolled at U.S. law schools who will have completed at least one year of law school before the internship commences. Interns should possess the following:<ul><li>Excellent research skills, including conducting internet and legal database research</li><li>Excellent communication skills, both verbal and writing</li><li>Attention to detail, excellent organizing and time-management skills</li><li>Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite</li><li>The initiative to see projects through to completion</li><li>A commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justice</li><li>Commitment to the mission of the ACLU and CLRP</li><li>Valid work authorization for those seeking a stipend from the ACLU</li></ul>Future ACLU-ers Will:<ul><li>Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU</li><li>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</li><li>Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflict</li></ul>Internship Logistics:<ul><li>Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of in-person, remote, or hybrid intern positions. This internship is remote or hybrid from our NY National office.</li><li>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).</li><li>Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks and part-time 12 weeks beginning either September 9 or September 23, 2024.</li><li>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:</li><li>$24/hour for graduate and law students or equivalent experience</li></ul>Priority Application Deadline: August 2, 2024

The ACLU seeks Legal Interns in the Criminal Law Reform Project (CLRP) in the Legal Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY (hybrid). Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the team and assisting in all aspects of litigation and other advocacy.The Team:CLRP seeks to end policies that fuel mass incarceration and over-criminalization. To these ends, CLRP focuses primarily on advocating for reform in policing, pretrial practices, public defense, sentencing, and supervision systems. We fulfill our mission through strategic litigation and advocacy that promotes meaningful change. Key priorities are ending unjust pretrial detention, along with exploitative and oppressive conditions of release; eliminating unconstitutional and racially-biased police practices; and catalyzing robust public defense systems. CLRP works closely with the ACLU’s National Political Advocacy Department to build a movement for social change, promote racial justice, and win reforms needed to significantly cut the size of our nation’s incarcerated population.What You'll Do:Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the team and assisting in factual investigation, and legal research and writing to advance our litigation and integrated advocacy.Your Day to Day:Interns will support CLRP litigation work and integrated advocacy across our priority areas. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:Legal researchLegal writing, such as memos and portions of court submissionsFact investigationSupport in preparation for and during court cases, such as depositions, oral argument, hearings, or trialEngage in special projects and other duties as assignedCenter principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processesWhat You'll Bring:The internship is open to students enrolled at U.S. law schools who will have completed at least one year of law school before the internship commences. Interns should possess the following:Excellent research skills, including conducting internet and legal database researchExcellent communication skills, both verbal and writingAttention to detail, excellent organizing and time-management skillsProficiency in Microsoft Office SuiteThe initiative to see projects through to completionA commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justiceCommitment to the mission of the ACLU and CLRPValid work authorization for those seeking a stipend from the ACLUFuture ACLU-ers Will:Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLUCenter 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 perspectivesBe committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflictInternship Logistics:Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of in-person, remote, or hybrid intern positions. This internship is remote or hybrid from our NY National 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).Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks and part-time 12 weeks beginning either September 9 or September 23, 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:$24/hour for graduate and law students or equivalent experiencePriority Application Deadline: August 2, 2024

Fall 2024 Legal Intern, Criminal Law Reform Project

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