Summer Legal Associate, Federal Policy and Advocacy

Center for Reproductive Rights • Washington, DC

44d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 270+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $60 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world. Our global pro bono network includes over 2,000 lawyers across 6 continents, 64 countries, and 130 law firms. Last year, law firms contributed over $30 million USD in pro bono legal services. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. To learn more about the Center, please go to www.reproductiverights.org The Role: The Center's Federal Policy and Advocacy Team is looking for an enthusiastic, resourceful, and highly organized Summer Legal Associate with a commitment to reproductive rights and human rights issues to engage in a variety of projects involving policy analysis and advocacy. This internship is based in Washington, D.C. and will focus on federal policy. Successful candidates will experience the day-to-day operations of a dynamic in-house policy team, including but not limited to legislative and administrative research and analysis, coalition advocacy, and translating legal and legislative language into persuasive policy documents. The internship is full-time for ten weeks during Summer 2026, with an expected commitment of 35 hours/week. This position is based in Washington, D.C. in a hybrid model of 3 days working in the office and 2 days working from home.

Requirements

• Current law student who has completed two years of legal education
• Strong legal research and writing skills
• Demonstrated interest in gender/women’s issues, reproductive rights, health care law and policy, civil rights, or constitutional law preferred

Nice To Haves

• Previous public interest policy experience a plus

Responsibilities

• Analyzing relevant federal sexual and reproductive health legislation and regulations
• Conducting legal research in connection with the Center’s core federal policy issues
• Monitoring and responding to legislative, regulatory, and other policy developments, including congressional hearings, appropriations bills, bill markups, federal rulemakings, relevant litigation, and other events
• Conducting research and developing materials in support of federal administrative advocacy priorities
• Drafting of policy and advocacy materials, including bill analyses, fact sheets, and talking points, for use in lobbying activities and outreach

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees