SPRING LEGAL INTERNSHIP
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION
WOMEN’S RIGHTS PROJECT, NY

Founded in 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is America's foremost advocate of individual rights, a national public interest organization devoted to the defense of the Bill of Rights with more than 5 national offices and 53 affiliates across the country. The Women’s Right Project of the ACLU seeks legal interns for the Spring of 2009.

Founded in 1972 by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Women’s Rights Project (WRP) has been a leader in the legal battles to ensure women’s full equality in American society. WRP is dedicated to the advancement of the rights and interests of women, with a particular focus on low-income women, women of color, and immigrant women – those who historically have been the most deeply victimized by gender bias and face the most pervasive barriers to equality today.

WRP focuses on four core priority areas: employment (including the rights of low-wage immigrant women workers, trafficking victims, women in non-traditional employment, and welfare recipients), violence against women (including battered women’s rights to be free from discrimination in housing, employment and government services), criminal and juvenile justice issues affecting women and girls (including the impact of drug laws on women, families and the rights of girls in juvenile detention) and education (including single sex education). Cutting across these core priorities, WRP seeks to bring an international human rights framework to our litigation and advocacy. Through litigation, community outreach, advocacy, and public education, WRP pushes for change and systemic reform in those institutions that perpetuate discrimination against women.

The Women’s Rights Project has overall responsibility for implementing ACLU policy in the area of gender discrimination. WRP conducts direct litigation, files amicus curiae briefs, provides support for ACLU affiliate litigation, serves as a resource for ACLU legislative work on women’s rights and seeks to advance ACLU policy goals through public education, organizing and coalition advocacy. WRP has been an active participant in virtually all of the major gender discrimination litigation in the Supreme Court, in Congressional and public education efforts to remedy gender discrimination and other endeavors on behalf of women.

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW:
The legal internship is unpaid and school credit may be available. The legal internship opportunity is open to second and third year law students and requires a full semester commitment. WRP requires a commitment of at least 8 hours per week. This internship can be performed remotely.

Legal interns will work on a wide variety of issues. Working closely with WRP staff, interns assist in all aspects of litigation including legal research, factual investigation, drafting of memoranda, affidavits, and briefs. Legal interns may also assist WRP staff in providing assistance to ACLU affiliates, private attorneys, and others who seek our assistance; screening potential cases; and researching or drafting materials for public education.

HOW TO APPLY:
Applicants should send a letter of interest, a resume, the names and telephone numbers of two references, an unofficial transcript, and a legal writing sample of no more than ten pages to Aliya Hussain, ahussain@aclu.org, reference WRP Spring Legal Internship in subject line or email OR:

Spring Legal Internship Hiring Committee
ACLU Women’s Rights Project
125 Broad Street, 18^th Floor
New York, NY 10004-2400

We strongly encourage applicants to apply by November 9, 2008, but applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Please indicate in your cover letter where you found this job posting.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbians and gay men to apply.