American Civil Liberties Union

2009 FALL UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS PROJECT
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
New York and California Offices

The Immigrant Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) seeks undergraduate interns for the Fall 2009 semester. There are two Internships available in New York, New York and two Internships available in San Francisco, California.

OVERVIEW:
The Immigrants’ Rights Project is a national project of the American Civil Liberties Union with offices in New York and California. Using targeted impact litigation, advocacy and public outreach, the Project carries on the ACLU’s commitment to protecting the rights and liberties of immigrants. In federal district and appellate courts, including the Supreme Court, the Project conducts the nation’s largest impact litigation program dedicated to defending and expanding the rights of immigrants, enforcing the guarantees of the Constitution, and achieving equal justice under the law.

The Project has focused on challenging laws that deny immigrants access to the judicial system, impose indefinite and mandatory detention, deprive immigrants of due process or discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived immigration status. The Project is also involved in combating unconstitutional law enforcement practices and state and local anti-immigrant enactments. In addition, the Project has been engaged in litigation aimed at exposing and opposing post-9/11 practices such as the use of “enemy combatant” and “material witness” designations to impose detention without trial and the torture and abuse of military detainees.

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW:
The internships are open to all students who have completed their first year of undergraduate school. Fall semester undergraduate internships are full-time or part-time, with negotiable weekly hours. Internships require a 10-16 week commitment, with the opportunity to continue into the next semester. There are 4 internships available; two for the New York City office and 2 for the San Francisco office. These internships are unpaid positions. Arrangements can be made for work/study or course credit.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Interns will work under the direct supervision of the Project's paralegals. In addition, they will have the opportunity to work with the staff and attorneys of the Immigrants’ Rights Project on a range of significant issues and projects. The work will include:

• Working closely with the IRP staff, interns will assist in legal research, factual investigation, drafting of memoranda, affidavits, and briefs.
• Providing assistance in the preparation of complaints and briefs.
• Providing assistance to the department.
• Handling inquiries from those seeking legal assistance.
• Providing assistance in the maintenance of case files and the compiling of press files.
• Other projects as assigned.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• First year of undergraduate school must be completed before beginning the internship.
• Strong, research and communication skills written/verbal.
• Demonstrated initiative to see projects through to completion.
• Strong interest in social justice and legal issues.
• Commitment to civil liberties.

HOW TO APPLY:
Fall applications will be accepted until positions are filled, please send a cover letter, resume, non-fiction writing sample of no more than 5 pages, to the office in which you wish to work. If you are interested in both offices, please apply separately to each and indicate that you have done so in your cover letter. The preferred method of submission is e-mail with the subject line specifying the office to which you are applying. Submissions via postal mail is acceptable, however please do not send application materials through both medians.

Thank you for your interest in the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project. If you have additional questions, please call the Internship Coordinators, Ankit Rastogi, at (212) 549-2660 or arastogi@aclu.org (for New York) or Ben Chandler (for San Francisco, California), at (415) 343-0771 or bchandler@aclu.org.

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.”