Fall 2026 Legal Intern, National Prison Project

About the Role

The ACLU seeks a 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: Fall internships can be part-time (10,15 or 20 hours/week)
• Internship Duration: Fall internships span 12 consecutive weeks