Legal Intern - Constitutional Studies

To be considered for this role, you must apply directly through our online application. 

Overview

The Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies is one of the most active filers of Supreme Court amicus briefs in the nation, promoting a jurisprudence rooted in the natural rights tradition, originalism, and the constitutional limits on government power. 

Thomas Berry directs the Center and edits the annual Cato Supreme Court Review; Clark Neily leads Cato's broader legal studies on overcriminalization, police accountability, and judicial engagement; Walter Olson covers litigation policy and regulatory law. The Center's scholars produce amicus briefs across federal courts, policy analyses, op-eds, and congressional testimony on constitutional issues such as free speech, property rights, federalism, administrative law, the Second Amendment, qualified immunity, and civil liberties. 

Interns collaborate with the team on legal research, brief drafting and editing, and publication support tasks that directly contribute to filed briefs, the Cato Supreme Court Review, and public commentary.

Responsibilities

• Review cert petitions and evaluate the likelihood of certiorari, then prepare concise bench-style memos summarizing the issues, circuit splits, and potential significance for the Center's docket.
• Assist in drafting and editing amicus briefs — including case law synthesis, argument development, and substantive legal research — under scholar supervision.
• Bluebook and cite-check manuscripts, briefs, and Cato Supreme Court Review submissions to publication standards.
• Monitor Supreme Court and appellate developments, including granted certiorari, circuit splits, and important lower court decisions; prepare written summaries for the team.
• Perform targeted case law and literature reviews using LexisNexis and HeinOnline.
• Attend and deliver reports on Hill briefings, policy panels, and conferences relevant to the Center's work.

Required Qualifications

• JD or current JD candidate — applicants without legal training cannot effectively contribute to this team's core work and should consider other placements.
• Excellent legal research and writing with a clear structure and rigorous synthesis of cases, statutes, and constitutional history.
• Proficiency with Bluebook citation and meticulous cite-checking.
• Knowledge of US constitutional law and the classical-liberal legal tradition, including originalism and textualism, grounded in and aligned with Cato's principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.
• Working knowledge of Supreme Court and appellate practice — certiorari standards, merits briefing, circuit split analysis, and docket tracking.
• Proficiency in LexisNexis and HeinOnline for legal research and legislative and administrative history.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous legal research or practice experience directly related to constitutional or appellate work — such as a judicial clerkship, law review, moot court, public interest litigation, or work with a policy organization focused on legal issues.
• Familiarity with the Center's recently published work and amicus practice; applicants are encouraged to review the team's recently published work before applying.
• Experience with law review or journals, especially as an editor or author in constitutional law or a related area.
• Coursework or independent research in constitutional law, administrative law, separation of powers, or First Amendment law.

The Cato Internship Program

Cato’s paid internships are available for undergraduates, recent graduates, graduate students, law students, and early-career professionals who are strongly committed to individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace—principles that together form libertarianism, also known as “classical liberalism,” “market liberalism,” or, to many of our international friends, simply “liberalism.” 

All Cato interns participate in the same intensive seminar series, which covers a wide range of history, philosophy, policy, and professional development topics. Interns also assist with events and occasionally support Cato staff with other daily tasks. 

Interns receive competitive pay. Part-time roles are adjusted accordingly and require a minimum of 25 hours per week. Program participants must be able to attend in person in Washington, DC.

For more information about the internship program and experience, we encourage you to explore our website. If you have any questions, email studentprograms@cato.org.