Summer 2027 Democracy, Speech & Technology Internship

The role

Interns work with attorneys to support litigation and policy work focused on free speech, privacy, and open government. Tasks include legal and policy research, authoring reports and court documents, and assisting with legislative campaigns.

What you will do

• Perform legal and policy research and analysis
• Help author reports and advocacy materials
• Help author portions of court documents and pre-litigation demand letters
• Assist with legislative or other local campaigns
• Attend and participate in public hearings at the state and county level
• Participate in meetings with policy-makers and advocates
• Attend appellate arguments, trial court proceedings, and depositions when possible
• Attend and participate in departmental meetings

Required qualifications

• Currently enrolled in law school or a graduate program in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Science, Public Policy, Political Science, Journalism, or a related field
• Strong research, writing, and oral communication skills
• Ability to articulate a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU
• Demonstrate a strong interest in the intersection of civil liberties and free speech, technology, and privacy
• Include a cover letter stating preference and willingness to be based in San Francisco, Sacramento, or Fresno
• Include a resume
• Include a writing sample

Benefits

• Funding provided by ACLU NorCal for students coming from schools that do not offer summer funding

Before you apply

• Undergraduate students will not be considered
• Applications from first year law students will not be reviewed until November 2026

About the company

The ACLU of Northern California’s Legal Advocacy Department promotes policy change and pursues impact litigation to defend civil liberties and civil rights. The Department's staff is based in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno.