2027 Summer Internship
About the program
FIRE’s 10‑week, paid Summer Internship Program gives undergraduate students a hands‑on opportunity to defend civil liberties and advance free speech. Interns do meaningful work alongside staff, receive mentorship, participate in weekly seminars with leading experts on freedom of expression, and help execute some of FIRE’s most important student programs of the year. The internship is full‑time at FIRE’s Philadelphia office. The 2027 program runs from Tuesday, June 1 through Friday, August 6, 2027. Interns receive a $6,400 stipend plus additional compensation for serving as counselors during FIRE’s Free Speech Forum. The program is highly competitive; FIRE typically selects 8–12 interns from hundreds of applicants. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and open October 19, 2026, closing Sunday, January 3, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Qualifications
- Passionate, team‑oriented, and driven undergraduate student with a strong interest in free speech and civil liberties
- Rising sophomore, junior, or senior attending a college or university in the United States
- Excellent research, writing, and communication skills
- Responsible, organized, eager to take initiative, and willing to engage with ideas and viewpoints they may disagree with
- Ability to work under pressure and a sense of humor
- Collaborative, open to feedback, and excited to contribute to a close‑knit cohort
Responsibilities
- Work closely with FIRE’s student development, defense, policy reform, legislation, development, and media teams on research and administrative projects
- Assist with planning and execution of the FIRE Student Network Summer Conference (July 2027, Philadelphia) and lead educational and interactive sessions for attendees
- Serve as a residential counselor during the Free Speech Forum, providing supervision, mentorship, and facilitation of free‑speech‑focused educational activities
- Contribute to FIRE’s Newsdesk
- Participate in weekly seminars with FIRE staff and civil‑liberties experts, learning foundational arguments for protecting core rights through reading and discussion
Selection process
Written responses are evaluated on clarity, style, and quality as well as content. The selection process consists of two virtual interview rounds followed by an in‑person finalist interview in Florida. Finalists interview with FIRE staff and participate in FIRE’s Student Development Conference; FIRE covers travel and lodging for the final round. Students studying abroad during the final round may participate virtually via Google Meet.