2027 Summer Legal Intern

About the role

At the ACLU of Virginia, law students gain exposure to a broad range of civil liberties and civil rights issues. Students will be fully embedded in the legal team and will actively work with staff attorneys to conduct legal research, write legal memoranda, and draft correspondence to potential clients in response to documented complaints of civil liberties and civil rights violations. Students may also assist ACLU attorneys in the development of cases for litigation, discovery, preparation of cases for trial, and submission of amicus briefs. Students may also have the opportunity to attend oral arguments or evidentiary hearings in state and federal court and participate in lobbying state and federal elected officials on civil rights and liberties matters. The ACLU of Virginia’s current legal docket includes a wide range of active matters, including several class action cases, in the areas of criminal legal reform, First Amendment, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, immigrants’ rights, and other issues impacting Virginians. The ACLU of Virginia also employs an integrated advocacy model, where the organization’s legal, policy, organizing, and communications departments work hand-in-hand to advance the affiliate’s priorities. Educational benefits of the internship include obtaining hands-on experience in applying constitutional theories and case law to legal problems and learning how to conduct factual investigation of complaints in support of litigation or other advocacy strategies. Students may also develop experience in non-litigation advocacy work.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research
• Write legal memoranda
• Draft correspondence to potential clients regarding civil liberties and civil rights complaints
• Assist in developing cases for litigation
• Assist with discovery
• Prepare cases for trial
• Draft amicus briefs
• Attend oral arguments or evidentiary hearings in state and federal court
• Participate in lobbying state and federal elected officials on civil rights and liberties matters

Qualifications

• Rising 2nd or 3rd-year law student during the internship period
• Ability to articulate a commitment to work for civil rights, civil liberties, and the ideals of the ACLU

Skills

• Enthusiastic, creative, proactive, and detail-oriented
• Excellent research, writing, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently

Pay

Interns are paid a rate of $21 per hour.

Schedule

• Full‑time, 11‑week summer position (approximately 400 hours total)
• One week of unpaid vacation the week of July 4th
• Internships must be no less than 300 and no more than 400 hours; part‑time internships are not offered in the summer
• Office hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday‑Friday
• Interns must reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia or within 150 miles of the downtown Richmond headquarters and be able to work in Richmond per the ACLU‑VA remote work policy
• Interns must be able to attend in‑person events in various locations in Virginia as needed