Fall 2026 Legal Intern, Immigrants' Rights Project- San Francisco

About the Immigrants' Rights Project

The Immigrants’ Rights Project is part of the Legal Department of the national ACLU and has offices in New York and San Francisco. For nearly 40 years, the Project has litigated in trial and appellate courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of immigrants and seek equal justice under the law. Our work has focused on due process, access to the courts, unfair detention, equal treatment, and state and local laws and policies. For example, we have challenged removals under the Alien Enemies Act; the targeting of student activists for arrest, detention, and deportation; family separation; the Muslim ban; multiple attacks on the asylum system; indefinite and mandatory detention; immigration detainers; state and local anti-immigrant laws; racial and language profiling connected to immigration enforcement; and attempts to eliminate judicial review. We work closely with partners at the national ACLU and affiliates, as well as allied organizations, to pursue litigation and to engage in and support other forms of advocacy and education.

What You’ll Do

The interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience working with IRP. They will learn about impact litigation and other legal advocacy tools on immigrants’ rights issues by working closely with attorneys in developing and litigating cases across various jurisdictions.

Your Day to Day

• Drafting memoranda, affidavits, and briefs
• Conducting legal and policy research
• Researching prospects for new litigation, including both factual and legal claims
• Researching and drafting materials for public education
• Legislative bill tracking and analysis
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes

What You’ll Bring

The internship is open to students enrolled at U.S. law schools who will have completed at least one year of law school before the internship commences. In their cover letter applicants should describe their interest in immigrants’ rights and civil liberties, including any relevant life or work experience gained before or during law school. Please specify your desired office location (New York or San Francisco) in the cover letter and the term you are applying for.

Interns should possess the following:

• Current enrollment in accredited U.S. law school
• Excellent research skills, including conducting internet and legal database research
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and writing
• Attention to detail, excellent organizing and time-management skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• The initiative to see projects through to completion
• A commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and social justice