Legal Intern, National Prison Project

ACLU

Legal Intern supporting the National Prison Project at ACLU, gaining experience in prison reform litigation and advocacy work. This position is for course credit only.

Posted 6/9/2026internshipWashington D.C. • District of Columbia, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesEntry LevelWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Legal interns gain valuable experience by working with the National Prison Project team.
They learn about creating change through prison reform litigation and advocacy work.
Researching and drafting legal memorandum and briefing regarding the rights of incarcerated people.
Gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing current information related to prison, jail, and detention center conditions.
Researching and drafting prospects for new litigation and / or campaign advocacy.
Assisting with the drafting, production, and distribution of advocacy and public education materials.
Providing other litigation and advocacy support to supervising attorneys.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated legal students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.
Second and third year law school students pursuing a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school; applicants must have completed at least one year of law school before the internship commences.
A demonstrated interest in the rights of incarcerated people and a commitment to civil rights.
Outstanding legal research, writing, and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to perform complex legal analytical work.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently as well as in a team. Ability to foster and contribute to a collaborative team environment is essential.
Strong computer skills, particularly web-based research including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel).

Benefits

Comp & perks

This internship is for course credit only.
Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU.
The ACLU strongly encourages 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.

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

legal researchlegal writinglitigationadvocacyanalytical skillsdrafting legal memorandumbriefingsynthesizing informationcampaign advocacy

Soft Skills

communication skillsorganizational skillsindependent workteam collaborationcommitment to civil rights

Certifications

J.D. degreeABA-accredited law school