Fall 2026 Undergraduate Intern, National Prison Project

About the role

The ACLU seeks a Fall 2026 Undergraduate 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.

Responsibilities

• 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:
• Assisting with production and distribution of advocacy materials
• Conducting factual research and writing regarding the rights of incarcerated people and legislative movement
• Gathering current information related to prison and jail conditions
• Documenting and tracking complaints received from incarcerated people and responding with informational materials
• Providing campaign and litigation support to supervising attorneys

Requirements

• Completed first year of an undergraduate degree
• A strong interest in the rights of incarcerated people and a commitment to civil rights
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills
• 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) or full-time (35 hours/week)
• Internship Duration : Part-time internships span 12 consecutive weeks, and full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks. This internship has a start date of September 8 or September 21.
• Stipend : This internship is for course credit only. This internship must be tied to the intern's formal education program by integrated coursework or the receipt of academic credit.
• Why the ACLU
• Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Benefits

Your Match

How well this role fits your profile.

Company Intel

What employees say

Worked at acluinternships? Share your experience