Legal Intern - National Prison Project

About the Role

The ACLU seeks a Spring Legal Intern in the National Prison Project of the ACLU’s National office in Washington D.C. This position may be remote or hybrid. This internship is for course credit only.

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

The Team:

The National Prison Project works to ensure that conditions in prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, and immigration detention facilities comply with the Constitution, domestic law, and international human rights principles. The Project has successfully litigated on behalf of incarcerated people in more than 25 states. It is the only organization litigating conditions of confinement cases nationwide. Our priorities include reducing overcrowding, improving health care, challenging the use of solitary confinement, and increasing oversight and accountability in prisons, jails, and other places of detention. We also work to reverse the policies that have given the United States the highest incarceration rate in the world and led to extreme over-representation of people of color in the incarcerated population.

What You’ll Do:

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.

Your Day to Day:

• 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

What You'll Bring:

• 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)

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 conflicts

Internship Logistics

• 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 Washington D.C. office.
• Time Commitment: Spring internships can be part-time (10,15 or 20 hours/week) or full-time (35 hours/week)
• Internship Duration: Spring internships span 12 consecutive weeks for part-time or 10 consecutive weeks for full-time with a start date of January 11 or January 25.
• Stipend: This internship is 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.

Priority Application Deadline: November 6, 2026.
While there is a priority deadline, our project is committed to reviewing all applications on a rolling basis until the closing of posting.

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. 

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Accessibility, 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 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 complete the Accommodation Request Form

If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

In order to be considered for this position, all candidates must formally submit an application. The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.

ACLU’s internship program is supported in part by the Arnie Miller Fund for the Next Generation: The Arnie Miller Fund For The Next Generation | American Civil Liberties Union.