Summer 2027 Civil Rights Legal Internship

ArchCity Defenders•St. Louis, MO

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

ArchCity Defenders (ACD) is a holistic legal advocacy organization dedicated to combating the criminalization of poverty and state violence, particularly in communities of color. ACD's work encompasses civil and criminal legal representation, social services, impact litigation, policy and media advocacy, and community collaboration to achieve justice and equitable outcomes. The organization envisions a society free from oppressive systems, where public safety prioritizes well-being and transformation over criminalization and incarceration. ACD's Civil Rights Litigation team focuses on impact litigation in federal Section 1983 cases concerning issues such as debtors' prisons, police misconduct, cash bail, and jail conditions. The Direct Representation teams handle cases in housing, consumer, criminal, and municipal law, with one team focusing on housing & civil advocacy and another on criminal and municipal defense. Legal interns will support these efforts through fact and legal research, drafting legal documents, assisting with discovery and investigation, and interviewing clients. Interns are encouraged to attend court proceedings with staff attorneys and will function as part of an interdisciplinary team. Successful interns should be assertive, independent, persistent, empathetic, proactive, flexible, and self-directed, demonstrating initiative, problem-solving skills, and the ability to see projects through to completion. Undergraduate interns will focus more on discovery, document review, investigation, and administrative tasks, while law students will engage in more research and drafting. All interns are encouraged to observe court proceedings.

Requirements

Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
Excellent legal research and writing skills
Detail-oriented approach to working in a team-driven organization
High capacity for problem solving and self-direction
Ability to work independently within time constraints
Flexible and able to respond appropriately to ACD’s changing needs
Commitment to racial and economic justice and systems change
Cultural awareness and sensitivity toward diverse populations
Awareness of structures of power, privilege, and oppression
Ability to work for ACD from June 1-July 30.
Must be able to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays.
Not able to accept interns who seek to simultaneously engage in more than one internship.

Nice To Haves

An intern seeking more individual client contact will likely prefer to work with one of the direct representation teams.
An intern seeking federal court experience or lengthier motion drafting experience would likely prefer to work with the Civil Rights team.
Undergraduate students participating in legal internships will not receive the same types of assignments as law students.

Responsibilities

Perform fact and legal research to bolster understanding of claims and issues.
Draft memos synthesizing findings, as well as motions, pleadings, and other legal documents.
Assist with discovery and investigation.
Interview and communicate with clients or class members.
Attend court proceedings with staff attorneys, if available.
Coordinate with attorneys and staff to support ArchCity Defenders' mission.
Engage in discovery, document review, investigation, and administrative work (for undergraduate interns).
Observe court proceedings with staff attorneys (for undergraduate interns).