Spring 2026 Undergraduate Intern

The ACLU seeks an Undergraduate Intern on the National Advocacy Institute team within the Executive Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York. This internship can be remote or hybrid.

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated undergraduate students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.

The Team:

The ACLU National Advocacy Instituteis a program for high-school students from across the United States to participate in a learning experience for the next generation of social justice advocates. At National Advocacy Institute, students engage directly with ACLU lawyers, lobbyists, community activists, and other experts working to defend the civil rights and civil liberties that are critical to a free and open society.

What You’ll Do:

The intern will support the admissions and enrollment pipeline, assist in student and family services and communication, and join meetings and contribute input on programmatic decisions.

Your Day to Day

• Read and sore student applications in a timely manner
• Assist with data entry, tracking, and other database related needs
• Process student enrollments and flag important student accessibility and accommodations requests
• Support communications to students and families
• Track collaboration with outside vendors supporting the Institute
• Work on program planning and logistics

What You’ll Bring:

• Experience working with young people is preferred (camp counselor, Residential Advisors, mentoring, etc.), but not required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• An interest in youth-programming, activism, and advocacy

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 conflict

Internship Logistics:

• Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship is and part-time from our New York City office and can be remote or hybrid.
• Time Commitment: Part-time (10, 15 or 20 hours/week)
• Internship Duration: Part-time internships span 12 consecutive weeks. This internship has a start date of: January 12th or January 26th
• Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit.
  • Below are the stipend rates:
    • $20/hr for undergraduate students or equivalent experience
    • $24/hr for graduate and law students or equivalent experience

Why the ACLU:

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us. 

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

The ACLU 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 email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodations for the interview process.

In order to be considered for this position, all candidates must formally submit an application. The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.