Fall 2026 & Spring 2027 Academic Year Externship

Center for Democracy & Technology•Washington, DC

19d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) occasionally hosts externs during the academic year. Externs support CDT’s work championing civil liberties and international human rights issues related to technology and the internet. This includes areas such as online free expression, electronic surveillance, digital copyright, disability rights in technology, cybersecurity, internet governance, equity in technology, and consumer privacy. College, law, and graduate students with an interest in internet and technology policy, human rights, and/or civil liberties are invited to apply. Externships are unpaid and must be coordinated with the extern’s college or university for academic credit. Prospective externs must be enrolled at an academic institution at the time of application and during their prospective externship period. Applications should include a cover letter explaining interest in externing at CDT, the desired team, and tentative dates; a current resume or CV; and a writing sample. The availability of positions is determined by the current needs of CDT’s policy teams. This opening is specific to the 2026 - 2027 academic year (Fall 2026 Semester & Spring 2027 Semester). We accept applications for five types of externships: legal, policy analyst, research, technologist, and nonprofit communications and development. Please specify in your cover letter which type of position you are applying for.

Requirements

Enrolled at an academic institution at the time of application and during the prospective externship period.
Interest in internet and technology policy, civil liberties and/or human rights law.
Strong research and writing skills.
Ability to take initiative and prioritize responsibilities in a fast-paced working environment.
Strong academic record.
Comfortable working within Eastern Time Zone (EST & EDT) business hours.

Nice To Haves

Interest in the team you would like to work with.
Tentative dates for your externship.

Responsibilities

Conduct legal and policy research, drafting reports and legal analyses, assisting in the preparation of testimony, presentations, legislative proposals, regulatory comments, and court briefs, and creating online educational resources (for legal externs).
Conduct policy research, drafting reports and analyses, assisting in the preparation of testimony, presentations, and legislative proposals, and creating online educational resources (for policy analysts).
Work with the Research Team in the development of research proposals, drafting literature reviews and issue-specific memoranda, data analysis, primary data collection, and translating research deliverables for policy-focused audiences (for researchers).
Conduct research, evaluating technical standards, drafting accessible policy papers about technical topics and reports, assisting in the preparation of testimony and legislative proposals, and designing online educational resources (for technologists).
Drafting and editing social media content; editing blogposts and reports; writing newsletters and other CDT communications; contributing to grant applications and reports; and office administrative tasks as assigned (for nonprofit communications, development, and management specialists).