Spring 2019 Legal Internship - Disability Rights Project (for Dec. grads)

Office: Legal Internships

Location: California

JULY 17, 2018

 

For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, advancing racial justice, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, fighting to integrate people with disabilities in the community, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties and civil rights cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than one million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, and record of arrest or conviction.

The Disability Rights Program of the ACLU’s National Office inSan Francisco seeks applicants for its Fall 2018 Legal Internship. A stipend is available for those students who do not receive outside funding and/or course credit. Arrangements can be made with the student’s school for a work/study stipend or course credit. 

 

The ACLU has a long history of defending the rights of people with disabilities. It played a major role in securing passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, has battled discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS, and has stood up for the voting rights of persons with disabilities in the ongoing debate over electoral reform. It has fought to obtain adequate health care and access to services for prisoners with disabilities across the country and is now addressing fundamental civil rights issues in education, voting, criminal justice, and guardianship. 

 

Interns will have the opportunity to assist with litigation to reduce the high rates of people with disabilities who are incarcerated; education about supported decision-making, and advocacy to reduce the overuse of law enforcement in the schools. The internship may be either full or part-time with weekly hours that are negotiable and typically requires at least a 10 hour per week commitment.

 

Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the Disability Rights Project team on the following:

This internship is open to law students who will have completed their first year of school before the internship commences. Interns should possess the following:

Please send a cover letter describing your interest, including any relevant life or work experience gained before or during law school ; a current resume; a short writing sample (no more than 10 pages in length); and a list of three references to HRJobsDRP@aclu.org.

Reference [Disability Rights Project Fall 2018 Legal Internship] in the subject line. Please note that this is not the general ACLU applicant email address. This email address is specific to Disability Rights Program postings. In order to ensure your application is received please make certain it is sent to the correct e-mail address.

 

 

This posting provides a general but not comprehensive list of the opportunities of the internship. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the posting at any time without advance notice.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages 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.  

The ACLU undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions.

We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact: hrjobsincl@aclu.org. Correspondence sent to this address that is not related to requests for accommodations will not be reviewed. Applicants should follow the instructions above regarding how to apply.