Internships

The ACLU of Massachusetts offers summer legal internships and public advocacy internships. Learn more about these internship opportunities here!

To view all current open postings, visit the ACLU of Massachusetts Careers & Internships page.

Summary

The ACLU of Massachusetts (ACLUM) often hosts interns in its Legal department for the summer season.

The ACLUM Legal team works on cutting-edge civil rights and civil liberties issues, and has undertaken groundbreaking litigation and non-litigation advocacy in areas including, but not limited to free speech, immigrants’ rights, criminal justice, reproductive rights, incarceration during COVID-19, transgender rights, open government, police accountability, government surveillance, racial justice, voting rights, democracy, the separation of church and state, and other issues.

Legal interns work on a variety of tasks required for litigation and other legal advocacy, including complaint investigation, legal research, and memo writing, drafting of complaints, affidavits, and discovery requests; preparation of pretrial motions, trial preparation, drafting of appellate briefs, and preparation for oral arguments. Students work closely with ACLUM supervising managing attorneys, and may also assist ACLUM’s Legislative Director in developing testimony for legislative hearings and other public policy materials.

Application Acceptance Period

Applications for Legal interns are typically accepted for a limited period ahead of each internship season and will be reviewed only during published submission periods. The typical application submission period for summer positions is mid-August through early-September for a start date between mid-May and early June in the following year. Exact dates may be subject to change in a given year.

The application submission period for Summer 2027 will be between August 14 and September 4, 2026.

Summary

The ACLU of Massachusetts (ACLUM) often hosts interns in the following program teams within its Public Advocacy department: Field, Racial Justice, and Technology for Liberty.

• The Field Program team works in communities and with ACLU volunteers and supporters, organizing and mobilizing members of the public to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Field interns work on a variety of tasks, including research, writing, and policy advocacy support on a host of issues including but not limited to voting rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ and gender rights, immigrants’ rights, free speech, and democracy.
• The Racial Justice Program (RJP) aims to preserve and extend civil rights and civil liberties for and to segments of the population who have historically been denied those rights on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin. RJP interns work on a variety of tasks, including research, writing, and policy advocacy support on a host of issues related to racial justice and the inequities facing people of color in the Commonwealth, including but not limited to voting rights, reproductive rights, criminal legal reform, LGBTQ+ and gender rights, and environmental justice—all with a lens toward racial equity.
• The Technology for Liberty Program (T4L) aims to increase government transparency and accountability, protect privacy and civil rights, and fight for racial justice, by promoting synergy with existing and emerging technologies. T4L interns work on a variety of tasks, including research, writing, and policy advocacy support on a host of issues related to technology and civil liberties, including but not limited to surveillance, algorithmic bias, digital privacy, and artificial intelligence.

Application Acceptance Period

Applications for Public Advocacy interns are typically accepted for a limited period ahead of each internship season and will be reviewed only during published submission periods. The typical application submission period for summer positions is mid-February for a start date in mid- to late-May of the current year. Exact dates may be subject to change in a given year.