UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The ACLU seeks an Undergraduate or GraduateIntern in theNational Political Advocacy Department – Electoral Team of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC.

The Team:

The National Political Advocacy Department builds power to achieve an accountable, representative democracy in order to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties, and advance the freedom, equality, ability to prosper, and humanity of all people. Our electoral team aims to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties by educating voters on the policy positions of candidates on ACLU priority issues. 

What You’ll Do:

The new Electoral Intern will be a crucial part of our growing team, supporting the strategy and implementation work of the Deputy Director for Candidate Races and the rest of the electoral team, reporting to the Electoral Strategist. 

Your Day to Day

• Tracking and organizing electoral data (we have many spreadsheets) 
• Coordinating meetings, maintaining agendas, note-taking, other administrative duties 
• Researching candidates or electoral opportunities 
• Engage in other duties and special projects as assigned 
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes 

What You’ll Bring:

• Excellent written/verbal communication and research skills
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, strong attention to detail, ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines 
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively 
• Excellent interpersonal skills 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) 
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU 

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 remote or hybrid from our DC National office.
• Time Commitment: This term-time internship will be completed on a full-time basis (35 hours/wek).
• Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks beginning September 9 or September 23, 2024.
• Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work and do not receive compensation from other sources. Students with external funding may receive a partial stipend to bring their total funding up to the level of the ACLU’s stipend amount for that term. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit. Below are the stipend rates:
  • $20/hour forundergraduate students or equivalent experience 
  • $24/hour for graduate and law students or equivalent experience

Priority Application Deadline: July 15, 2024

How to apply

Click "Apply for this Job"

Please attach the following to your application, noting the specifications and page count:

• Resume (max. 1 page)
• Cover letter (max. 1 page): a brief statement about why you want to work at the ACLU and on our electoral program, your relevant experience and what you would bring to the position, and how this internship would support your career objectives. This is to put your resume & application in context.
• Short writing sample (max. 1 page): The ACLU often engages in down-ballot races (e.g. Secretaries of State, State Supreme Courts, sheriffs, etc). Please write an informal but professional email to the hiring manager describing your interest in down-ballot races. Some suggested prompts: Is there a statewide or lower elected office you think people should care more about when it comes to civil rights and civil liberties issues? Was there a candidate that impressed you in 2023, or that you’ll be watching in 2024 or 2025? What interests you, and do you see any major opportunities and obstacles for that office or candidate? This is to showcase your analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• OPTIONAL Research sample (max. 5 pages): this can be an excerpt from a term paper, thesis, etc, and should include thorough footnotes and a bibliography. It may be on a subject related to US electoral politics, or another area that demonstrates original thinking and investigation. This is to showcase your research abilities.

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 from government abuse and overreach.

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 makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

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 benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.