ACLU Foundation Center for Democracy NYC Internships

SUMMER 2011 LEGAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
NOTICE TO FIRST AND SECOND YEAR LAW STUDENTS
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION
Center for Democracy, NY

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU), founded in 1920, is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with more than 500,000 members and is dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality embodied in the U.S. Constitution. The Center for Democracy (CFD) of the ACLU’S National office in New York City seeks legal interns for the Summer of 2011.

OVERVIEW

The ACLU’s Center for Democracy works to strengthen democratic values, promote human rights and ensure government accountability. The Center for Democracy includes the National Security Project, the Human Rights Program and the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project.

• The Speech, Privacy and Technology Project litigates cases that raise novel and important issues involving free speech, association, assembly, and privacy. The project also litigates cases concerning technology and liberty issues, including challenges to government surveillance, fair use rights, and Internet censorship.

• The National Security Project litigates national security cases relating to governmental surveillance, discrimination, dissent, detention, and torture. The project’s docket includes: a suit on behalf of a number of U.S. citizens and residents who are prohibited from flying to or from the United States or over U.S. airspace because they are on the government's “No Fly List”; a challenge to the lawfulness of the CIA’s practice of carrying out “targeted killings” far from any recognized battlefield; a challenge to the government’s unconstitutional seizure of the assets of a charity; a challenge to the indefinite detention without charge or trial of a prisoner held at Guantánamo Bay; a suit on behalf of a broad coalition of human rights, media, and legal organizations; a challenge to the constitutionality of dragnet wiretapping conducted under the amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; and numerous suits under the Freedom of Information Act for information about a variety of related issues including the legal basis for the government’s use of drones to conduct “targeted killings” both on and far from conventional battlefields, the treatment of prisoners held by the United States in detention centers overseas, and the government’s use of new surveillance laws.

• The Human Rights Program (HRP) is dedicated to holding the U.S. government accountable to its international human rights obligations and commitments. HRP uses a human rights framework to complement existing ACLU legal and legislative advocacy and to advance social justice in the areas of national security, immigrants’ rights, women’s rights, racial justice, the death penalty and children’s rights. HRP conducts human rights public education and engages in advocacy and litigation before U.S. courts and international bodies, including the United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms.

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW
The Center seeks summer interns to work on all aspects of litigation. Our Summer Legal Internship requires a ten to twelve week commitment. Students are highly encouraged to seek alternate funding as this internship is unpaid. Arrangements can also be made with the student's law school for work/study stipends. Summer interns who do not secure funding may be eligible for a stipend provided by the Center.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Working closely with project attorneys, interns will assist in all aspects of litigation including:
• Conducting legal research and factual investigation;
• Drafting memoranda, affidavits and briefs;
• Other projects as assigned.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

First and second year law students are encouraged to apply.
Applicants must possess:
• A demonstrated interest in civil liberties and human rights;
• Excellent research, writing, analytical and communication skills;
• Initiative and determination to see projects through to completion.
Application instructions:

Applicants should send a letter of interest, resume, a list of two references, an official or unofficial transcript, and a legal writing sample, preferably 10 pages or fewer in length, by email to aestevao@aclu.org with CFD Summer Internship 2011 in the subject line OR send via mail to:

Law Student Intern Program
ACLU Center for Democracy
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004-2400

Students are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible, as decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applications from second year law students must be postmarked no later than November 15, 2010. Applications from first year law students may be submitted beginning December 1, 2010, and must be postmarked no later than January 10, 2011. Please indicate in your cover letter where you found this job posting.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”