The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) seeks highly motivated law students for summer internships. Summer internships are full-time and require a 10-week commitment. The office is on a hybrid work schedule, working in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and remotely on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
At the ACLU-NJ, law students have the opportunity to contribute to a broad range of cutting-edge civil rights and liberties work on a variety of issues.
Students work closely with staff members to conduct legal research, write legal memoranda, and may have opportunities to draft legal or advocacy correspondence, and analyze pending state and local legislative or regulatory proposals that impact civil rights and liberties in New Jersey. Students may also have opportunities to attend oral arguments in state and federal court, or participate in advocacy meetings and events involving clients, community partners and/or government officials.
The ACLU-NJ is committed to working with law students to secure academic credit and/or school or outside funding for those who spend the full summer with us. We are committed to providing at minimum partial stipends for students regardless of outside funding availability.
How & When to Apply
Applicants are required to submit a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript (if available) and a writing sample of 5 to 10 pages double-spaced. We invite applicants to include in their cover letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work.
For 1Ls who do not yet have a writing sample, please upload another piece of writing (e.g., from a college course) as well as a separate document explaining in one or two sentences when you expect to have a legal writing sample available (e.g., at the end of the fall semester).
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until positions are filled. To apply, click here. Please upload your resume to the designated field and all other documents, including your cover letter, as one pdf to the cover letter field.
About the ACLU-NJ
For over 60 years, the ACLU-NJ has defended liberty and justice guided by the vision of a fair and equitable New Jersey for all. Our mission is to preserve, advance, and extend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every New Jerseyan by the state and federal constitutions in courts, in the legislature, and in our communities.
In every facet of our work, we strive to be anti-racist and are actively committed to advancing racial justice in the institutions of New Jersey, for the people of New Jersey. We aim to center the voices and lived experiences of those who historically have not been fully protected by government systems or laws.
Founded in 1960 and based in Newark, we are a non-partisan organization that operates on several fronts — political, legal, cultural — to bring about systemic change and build a more equitable society. You can learn more about our strategic approach here.
The ACLU-NJ is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail careers@aclu-nj.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.