Summer 2027 Democracy, Speech & Technology Internship

ACLU of Northern California; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 33,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

The ACLU of Northern California invites law and graduate students to apply for its Democracy, Speech & Technology Internship in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno. Interns work with attorneys on litigation and policy projects focusing on free speech, privacy, and open government.

Summer internships run 10–12 weeks, with full-time commitment and possible split summers. Applicants must be enrolled in a law or graduate program and demonstrate a strong interest in civil liberties and technology.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in law school or grad program relevant to civil liberties and technology.
• Strong research, writing and oral communication skills.
• Commitment to social justice and the ideals of the ACLU.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal and policy research and analysis for project work.
• Assist with drafting reports, advocacy materials and pre-litigation letters.
• Support with legislative or local campaigns and outreach.
• Attend public hearings, meetings with policymakers, and department briefings.

Education

Law school enrollment

Job description

Summer 2027 Democracy, Speech & Technology Internship

Location: We expect our Summer 2027 internships will proceed in-person (or in a hybrid model) at our offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno. In your application materials please include your preference and willingness to be based in each of these locations.

Deadline: Open until filled. Applications from first year law students will not be reviewed until November 2026.

The ACLU of Northern California’s Legal Advocacy Department invites law and graduate students to apply for its Democracy, Speech & Technology Internship. Students willing to work with intensity and focus will find an internship at ACLU NorCal to be a rewarding learning experience. Qualified applicants are enthusiastic, creative, and detail-oriented; have strong research, writing, and oral communication skills; and can articulate a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU.

About the Legal Advocacy Department

The Legal Advocacy Department promotes policy change and pursues cutting edge impact litigation to defend and expand the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The Department’s work focuses on three broad issue areas: Criminal Law & Immigration; Democracy, Speech & Technology; and Special Litigation & Appeals. The Department’s staff is based in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno. Department staff work closely with other departments within ACLU NorCal, including Organizing, Communications, Development, as well as with ACLU California Action.

Democracy, Speech & Technology Internship

Democracy, Speech & Technology Interns work directly with one or more attorneys in support of the project’s litigation and policy work, which focuses on safeguarding free speech, privacy, and open government, in the digital world and beyond.

Interns will be tasked with legal and policy research and analysis; helping to author reports, advocacy materials, portions of court documents, and pre-litigation demand letters; and/or assisting with legislative or other local campaigns. Interns may attend and participate in public hearings at the state and county level and participate in meetings with policy‑makers and advocates as such opportunities arise. When possible, interns may also attend appellate arguments, trial court proceedings, and depositions. Interns are encouraged to attend and participate in departmental meetings, where prospective litigation and policy strategies are discussed. At times, assignments may arise that provide interns the opportunity to work across the Department’s three broad issue areas, including Criminal Law & Immigration and Special Litigation & Appeals.

Applicants must currently be enrolled in law school or a graduate program in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Science, Public Policy, Political Science, Journalism, or a related field, and must demonstrate a strong interest in the intersection of civil liberties and free speech, technology, and privacy. The Legal Advocacy Department accepts two to three Democracy, Speech & Technology Interns per term.

Application Process

Summer internships are full-time for 10 – 12 weeks and generally begin the day after Memorial Day. “Split” summers may be considered where the intern is available for a minimum of 10 weeks. Part-time internships are not available during the summer.

Funding and Scholarship Opportunities

For summer internship funding, students should seek funding through their institutions to the extent it is available. At ACLU NorCal, we strive to create equitable opportunities for student‑applicants and recognize that not all institutions provide funding (or adequate funding) for students pursing public interest internships and career paths. As such, for students coming from schools that do not offer summer funding, ACLU NorCal will provide you with funding to compensate for you work with us over the summer.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early in the hiring cycle.

• Summer term: Applications will be accepted beginning in early September for the following summer term. ACLU NorCal staff will not begin to review applications from first year law students until November 2026.

The ACLU of Northern California advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to support a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, arrest or conviction record, and any other basis prohibited by law. The organization also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. This equal employment opportunity policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, advancement, training, problem resolution, and separation from employment. Through this policy, ACLU NorCal strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is supportive and free from discrimination.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in ACLU of Northern California’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.