American Civil Liberties Union

 

 The New York Civil Liberties Union, the New York state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, seeks a college student for a 2011 legislative internship (unpaid). 

 

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's foremost defenders of civil liberties and civil rights. Founded in 1951 as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, the NYCLU is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with six chapters and approximately 50,000 members statewide. The NYCLU defends the rights and freedoms embodied in the state and federal constitutions. We focus on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to privacy, reproductive rights, youth and student rights, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, voting rights, and the protections afforded those who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The NYCLU engages in various forms of advocacy, including litigation, legislative and policy initiatives and public education. For more information about the NYCLU, please visit www.nyclu.org.   

 

Reforming New York’s harsh drug laws has always been an organizational priority. The Rockefeller Drug Laws, enacted in 1973, devastated individuals and communities throughout the state, particularly those of color. The laws required harsh prison terms for the possession or sale of relatively small amounts of drugs. In 2009 New York’s legislature passed historic reforms to the drug laws, which, among other things, allowed judges to decide that for some defendants, an alternative to incarceration program would be a better sentence than a prison term. 

 

The NYCLU’s Legislative Department is seeking a college student to help conduct research related to these reforms of New York’s drug sentencing laws. The intern will research, review, and write summaries of news stories and academic publications regarding alternatives to incarceration. The position will require an intern to work approximately 10-15 hours a week during the fall semester, with the possibility of continuing through the spring. The intern should be able to work off-site, but come to the NYCLU office for in-person check-ins once a week. 

 

 

Applicants should email a cover letter, resume and legal writing sample to internships@nyclu.org with the subject heading “Fall 2011 Undergraduate Legislative Internship” or mail to: