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 1Ls will not be reviewed until November 2026.
The ACLU of Northern California’s Legal Advocacy Department invites law and policy graduate students to apply for its Criminal Law & Immigration Project 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.
Criminal Law & Immigration Project Internship
Criminal Law & Immigration Project interns will participate in one or more of the team’s core streams of work, which includes: Prosecutorial Accountability; Police Accountability; Decarceration; and Immigrants’ Rights. The Prosecutorial Accountability project aims to increase engagement in prosecutorial elections, increase accountability, and draw attention to the immense power and discretion exercised by prosecutors. The Police Accountability project aims to reduce criminalization, police power and abuse of power, implementation of police reform at the state and local level, and effective oversight on police power. The Decarceration project aims to reduce incarceration and includes bail reform work and indigent defense advocacy. The Immigrants’ Rights work focuses on projects that ensure that the civil rights of immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers are protected under federal, state, and local law.
Interns will be tasked with legal and policy research and analysis; helping to author 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 hearings at the state and county level and meetings with policy-makers and advocates as opportunities arise. 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. Assignments may arise that provide interns the opportunity to work across the Department’s three broad issue areas, including Democracy, Speech & Technology and Appeals & Special Litigation.
Applicants must currently be enrolled in law school or a graduate program in criminal justice, public policy, or a related field, and applicants must demonstrate a passion for criminal justice and a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU. The Legal Advocacy Department accepts two to three Criminal Law & Immigration Project 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.
Application deadlines
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.
How to apply
Applications from all interested law and graduate students are welcome. Please note that ACLU NorCal does not consider applications from undergraduate students. Applications must include the following in PDF format: (1) Cover Letter that includes (a) a brief statement about why you want to work on the particular Program/Issue Area you’ve applied for, (b) your preference and willingness to be based in each of our three office locations for the summer (San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno), and (c) how you encountered the internship opening; (2) Resume; and (3) Writing Sample.
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.
Skills Required
- Currently enrolled in law school or a graduate program in criminal justice, public policy, or a related field
- Passion for criminal justice and commitment to social justice and ACLU ideals
- Strong legal and policy research skills
- Strong writing skills
- Strong oral communication skills
- Ability to work with intensity, focus, creativity, and attention to detail
- Full-time availability for 10–12 weeks during summer
- Ability to submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample in PDF format
What We Do
The ACLU of Northern California is the largest ACLU affiliate in the country, dedicated to defending fundamental rights and freedoms in Northern California since 1934. Its mission is to defend civil liberties and civil rights in the region and nationwide, working to realize the promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.
