Spring 2026 Legal Intern, Reproductive Freedom Project
Spring 2026 Legal Intern, Reproductive Freedom Project
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Job Description
About the Role
The ACLU seeks aSpringLegal Intern in the Reproductive Freedom Projectof the ACLUs National office inNew York City.This position may be remote or hybrid. This position is 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 ACLUs Reproductive Freedom Project envisions a world that respects and supports each of us in making deeply personal decisions that determine the shape of our lives: with whom to form intimate relationships and whether when and how to have the world we see we can all get the health care and other resources necessary to have a child to prevent pregnancy or to have an abortionregardless of where we live our income race age gender identity immigration status or whom we love.
For five decades the ACLU has been a leader in the efforts to ensure that every person has access to affordable and stigma-free abortion care. Since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade the ACLU has brought dozens of lawsuits seeking to preserve and expand access to abortion. Current cases include challenges to abortion bans and restrictions in states like Arizona Georgia and Missouri; challenges to policies that seek to prevent people from traveling to get an abortion; and cases using new state constitutional amendments to strike abortion restrictions and expand access. The ACLU is also a leader in efforts to preserve and expand access to medication abortion and brought the case that led to the FDA lifting rules that prevented people from receiving their medication through the mail.
In the current environment the ACLUs Reproductive Freedom Project is challenging efforts by the Trump Administration to decimate our nations family planning program and is preparing to challenge further efforts by the Trump Administration to restrict access to abortion including efforts to restrict access to medication abortion prevent people from obtaining emergency abortions and misapply federal laws to shut down abortion care.
The Reproductive Freedom Projects work extends beyond abortion and contraception. For example the ACLU is currently litigating a case in Alabama a state with woefully insufficient maternity care and appallingly high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality which enabled the first free standing birth centers to obtain licenses and begin serving patients.
The ACLU is unique among reproductive rights organizations in that it works with the ACLUs nationwide network of state affiliates as well as attorneys and advocates in the organization who specialize in areas such as LGBT rights criminal defense immigrants rights racial justice disability rights and freedom of speech and religion.
What Youll Do:
Interns will gain valuable experience working alongside the team assisting in all aspects of litigation as well as exposure to policy advocacy and communications campaigns.
Your Day to Day:
- Conducting legal research and analysis
- Aiding in drafting memoranda motions declarations and legal pleadings
- Providing general assistance on active litigation including cite-checking
- Supporting development of new litigation projects
- Additional responsibilities could include working on fact development conducting background research or tracking and analyzing bills
What Youll Bring:
The internship is open to law students who will have completed at least one year of law school before the internship commences. Interns should possess the following:
- Excellent legal research and writing skills and the ability to conduct complex legal analysis.
- Strong oral communications skills and the ability to explain complicated legal issues.
- The ability to balance multiple assignments to communicate with colleagues and to accept and incorporate feedback.
- A collaborative attitude be a team player.
- Demonstrated commitment to public interest law civil rights and liberties and social justice; a demonstrated commitment to reproductive health rights and justice is a plus but is not required.
Future ACLUers 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 New York City.
- Time Commitment: This internship may be part-time (1015 or 20 hours/week) or full-time (35 hours/week)
- Internship Duration: Spring internships span 12 consecutive weeks for part-time or 10 consecutive weeks for full-time with a start date of January 12 or January 26.
- Stipend: This position is course credit only
Priority Application Deadline: October 10 2025
While there is a priority deadline our project is committed to reviewing all applications on a rolling basis until the closing of posting.
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 its 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 & 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 were 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. 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.
Required Experience:
Intern
Employment Type
Contract
