2027 Summer Constitutional Litigation Internship

Americans United for Separation of Church & State-•Washington, DC

4d•Remote

About The Position

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is seeking full-time summer legal interns who are committed to civil rights, impact litigation, and upholding core First Amendment protections. Americans United is a nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure freedom of religion, including the right to believe or not believe, for all of us. Founded in 1947, Americans United is a diverse and dynamic organization composed of people from all walks of life: lawyers and lobbyists, students and activists, religious leaders and impassioned Americans. Americans United includes people of faith and people who don’t profess any particular faith. For nearly 80 years, we have litigated church-state issues in federal and state courts across the country, with a substantial practice before the federal courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Most of our cases involve novel, cutting-edge First Amendment and other constitutional issues. In recent years, for example, we have litigated lawsuits and submitted amicus briefs challenging or opposing: Coercive religious practices in the public schools. Proselytizing by Trump-Vance Administration officials. Public funding of religious education. Religion-based refusals by businesses, foster-care agencies, and government officials to provide services to LGBTQ+ people and religious minorities. Religion-based efforts to deprive people of access to abortion and contraceptives. Race-based and sex-based employment discrimination by religious employers. For more information about Americans United’s legal program, please visit our website at www.au.org.

Requirements

Law students (any year) who are committed to advancing the public interest and the separation of religion and government.
Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods.
Ability to communicate effectively.
Ability to occasionally move about within the workspace.

Nice To Haves

Consider applying even if you don’t match 100% of these criteria.

Responsibilities

Assist with ongoing litigation by conducting legal and factual research and writing.
Analyze potential new litigation.
Draft demand letters to resolve constitutional violations without filing suit.
May also draft pleadings, briefs, or discovery.
Provide training and practical experience in public-interest legal practice.
Encourage interns to take full advantage of events in Washington, D.C., or available virtually.