Position Overview:
At the ACLU of Virginia, law students gain exposure to a broad range of civil liberties and civil rights issues. Students 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.
Educational benefits 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.
The ACLU of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to involve all those who can contribute to our inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, ability and veteran status. Persons with a disability may request accommodation.
Compensation & Schedule
This Summer Legal Internship position is full-time for a minimum of 300-hours. Part-time internships are not available during the summer. ACLU-VA office hours are 9:00am – 5:00pm M-F. Interns will be paid a rate of $15/hour. Interns are encouraged to apply for academic credit and/or seek funds through public interest fellowships.
Skills & Qualifications
Applicants must be a rising 2nd or 3rd year law student during the duration of the internship period. Applicants should be able to articulate a commitment to work for civil rights, civil liberties and the ideals of the ACLU. Qualified applicants are enthusiastic, creative, and detail-oriented; have excellent research, communication, and interpersonal skills; and, can work independently and write in a clear and concise manner.
Application Process
Applicants are encouraged to apply early in the hiring cycle as decisions are made on a rolling basis.
Applications from all interested students are welcome. Applications must be in PDF format and include the following: (1) Cover Letter that includes a statement about (a) why you want to work at the ACLU of Virginia, and (b) a particular civil rights or civil liberties issue that interests you and why; (2) Resume; and, (3) Writing Sample. The writing sample should be no more than 5-10 pages and should demonstrate the applicant’s legal research and writing ability. The writing sample must reflect the applicant’s own abilities and should not have been substantially edited by another person.
How to Apply:
Visit https://acluva.org/en/jobs/summer-2020-legal-internship
Please have the above-mentioned pdf documents ready for upload before starting your application. If problems are encountered with the Internship Application Form, please contact [email protected].