Deferred Law Firm Associate
Summer 2012 Legal Intern
Legal Internship or Externship
Racial Justice Project Internship
Communications Internship
Development Internship
General Internship
Deferred Law Firm Associate
The ACLU of Michigan is accepting applications from deferred law firm associates to work as an ACLU staff attorney or ACLU fellow on cutting edge civil liberties and civil rights cases. The ACLU litigates high impact, high profile cases addressing a wide range of constitutional issues, including: freedom of speech and religion, civil liberties after 9/11, police misconduct, voting rights, right to counsel and due process, reproductive freedom, education reform, and the rights of people of color, women, LGBT persons and prisoners. The office environment is supportive and the work is challenging, exciting and rewarding.
Responsibilities: ACLU staff attorneys and fellows will be given significant responsibility working on ongoing cases and developing new cases. Such responsibilities include: drafting memoranda addressing the merits of potential cases, meeting with and interviewing plaintiffs and witnesses, drafting complaints and briefs, assisting with discovery and/or analyzing the constitutionality of pending legislation. Deferred associates who are admitted to practice in any state may have the opportunity to argue motions in federal court.
Qualifications:
- Must have a demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights.
- Must have exceptional research and writing skills.
- Must be a deferred associate at a firm that financially sponsors pro bono opportunities.
All staff attorneys are supervised by the legal director. The deferred law associate may also have the opportunity to work with our executive director, legislative director, Racial Justice Project staff attorney, LGBT Project staff attorney, two general staff attorneys, and/or attorneys from the National ACLU.
Applications:
Please email or send cover letter, resume and writing sample to:
Michael J. Steinberg, Legal Director
American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan
2966 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48201
(313) 578-6814
msteinberg@aclumich.org
To learn more about the ACLU of Michigan, go to www.aclumich.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Summer 2012 Legal Intern
Summer legal interns with the ACLU of Michigan have a unique opportunity to work on cutting edge civil liberties and civil rights cases. For example, summer legal interns in 2011 participated in developing cases on debtors’ prisons, adoption rights of same-sex couples, education issues, unlawful searches of students, and many other issues.
In addition to a vibrant and innovative caseload, the ACLU of Michigan offers legal interns a rewarding summer experience, including opportunities to attend court hearings, social activities, supervision and mentorship.
Some of our recent litigation includes a class action to reform Michigan’s broken indigent defense system, a federal lawsuit to preserve affirmative action in university admissions in the wake of Proposal 2, a pregnancy discrimination case on behalf of female Detroit police officers, and an Eighth Amendment challenge to Michigan’s practice of sentencing children to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Responsibilities: Law students work on many aspects of potential and ongoing cases, such as: drafting memoranda addressing the merits of a case, meeting with and interviewing plaintiffs and witnesses, and drafting complaints and briefs. Students may also be asked to analyze the constitutionality of pending legislation or help with discovery.
Internship Locations
Internships are available at our Detroit headquarters, our Lansing legislative office, and our West Michigan Regional Office in Grand Rapids. In your cover letter, please indicate whether you have a geographic preference.
Qualifications:
ACLU of Michigan interns should have:
- completed their first year of law school;
- very strong research, writing and communication skills;
- a demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights issues.
Supervision: Legal interns and externs will be supervised by the legal director and six staff attorneys. They may also be asked to assist a cooperating attorney on a pending case or
to work with the executive director or legislative director.
Credit/Fellowships: Our summer legal internship requires a 10 to 12 week commitment. This is an unpaid internship. Students are highly encouraged to seek public interest fellowship funds. Arrangements can also be made with the student’s law school for work/study stipends or course credit.
Applications: Applications for summer 2012 will be considered on a rolling basis but should be submitted no later than January 31, 2012.
Please email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to:
Michael J. Steinberg, Legal Director
msteinberg@aclumich.org
American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan
2966 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 578-6814
To learn more about the ACLU of Michigan, go to www.aclumich.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Racial Justice Project Internship
A legal internship or externship with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan provides students with a unique opportunity to work on cutting edge civil liberties and civil rights cases. The Racial Justice Project is seeking students to work on specific projects that focus on a variety of issues such as exploring the causes and remedies to mass incarceration, ending the school-to-prison pipeline, and the elimination of statutes that sentence juveniles to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Racial Justice Project intern will work on intake, research, specific issues that arise in the state legislature, and other projects under the supervision of the Racial Justice Project staff attorney.
Responsibilities:
Law students may be asked to work on many aspects of potential and ongoing cases such as: drafting memoranda addressing the merits of a case, meeting with and interviewing plaintiffs and witnesses, and drafting complaints and briefs. Students may also be asked to analyze the constitutionality of pending legislation or help with discovery.
Qualifications:
ACLU of Michigan Interns should have:
- strong organizational, writing, and communication skills;
- a commitment to civil liberties and civil rights;
- a familiarity with computer databases;
- a dependable schedule and a willingness to work in the Detroit office at least 16 hours a week for one semester.
Legal interns and externs will be supervised by the legal director. They will sometimes be asked to assist a staff attorney or cooperating attorney on a pending case or to work with the executive director, legislative director, Racial Justice Project staff attorney and/or LGBT Project staff attorney.
Credit/Fellowships:
Be sure to ask your academic advisor, since some academic programs allow students to earn credit hours for participation in an ACLU internship. However, the ACLU does not have budgetary resources to provide monetary compensation to interns.
Applications:
To apply, please submit a letter of interest including availability, your resume and a writing sample by email to Brenda Bove at bbove@aclumich.org
To learn more about the ACLU of Michigan, go to www.aclumich.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Legal Internship or Externship
A legal internship or externship with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan provides students with a unique opportunity to work on cutting edge civil liberties and civil rights cases. The ACLU litigates impact cases addressing a wide range of constitutional issues such as free speech, religious freedom, right to privacy, right to due process and equal protection, voting rights, and the rights of people of color, women, gay men and lesbians, and prisoners.
Responsibilities:
Law students may be asked to work on many aspects of potential and ongoing cases such as: drafting memoranda addressing the merits of a case, meeting with and interviewing plaintiffs and witnesses, and drafting complaints and briefs. Students may also be asked to analyze the constitutionality of pending legislation or help with discovery.
Qualifications:
ACLU of Michigan Legal Interns:
- must have finished their first year of law school;
- must have strong research and writing skills;
- must have a commitment to civil liberties and civil rights.
Supervision:
Legal interns and externs will be supervised by the legal director. They will sometimes be asked to assist a staff attorney or cooperating attorney on a pending case or to work with the executive director, legislative director, Racial Justice Project staff attorney and/or LGBT Project staff attorney.
Credit/Fellowships:
Most law schools will give students credit for an ACLU internship or externship during the school year or the summer. Some law schools, such as the University of Michigan Law School and Harvard Law School, offer student-funded fellowships or other grants to ACLU summer interns. Unfortunately, the ACLU cannot afford to pay its interns.
Applications:
Please send or email cover letter, resume and writing sample to:
Michael J. Steinberg, Legal Director
msteinberg@aclumich.org
American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan
2966 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
To learn more about the ACLU of Michigan, go to www.aclumich.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Communications Internship
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is seeking graduate or undergraduate students interested in non profit communications, public relations or journalism for a communications internship.
The Communications Internship is designed to give students the opportunity to experience firsthand the workings of a full service non-profit communications department.
The Communications Intern’s primary responsibility will be to work with the ACLU of Michigan’s Communications Director on a variety of projects. Possible projects include:
- Drafting various communications materials including press releases, opinion editorials, letters to the editor, e-action alerts and the ACLU of Michigan newsletter
- Writing entries for the ACLU’s Blog and organizing staff contributions
- Assisting in developing marketing and publicity materials for the ACLU
- Updating the ACLU’s website as needed
- Tracking media coverage of ACLU issues and initiatives
ACLU of Michigan interns should have:
- excellent oral and written communication skills;
- experience in journalism, marketing, web-publishing, and/or desktop publishing;
- a creative, organized and responsible nature;
- a demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights;
- multi-tasking skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team;
- self-confidence, with a sense of humor in order to maintain balance and perspective.
Some academic programs allow students to earn credit hours through an ACLU internship during the school year or the summer. Inquire about conditions and availability at your school. Unfortunately, the ACLU of Michigan cannot afford to pay its interns.
Applications:
To apply submit a résumé, a letter of interest including availability, and a writing sample to:
Rana Elmir, Communications Director
relmir@aclumich.org
ACLU of Michigan
2966 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
To learn more about the ACLU of Michigan, go to www.aclumich.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Development Internship
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is seeking interns and volunteers to assist in promoting our Annual Dinner and other special projects.
We are seeking students studying communications (advertising, journalism, and public relations), as well as students in business programs. An internship with the ACLU provides students with a unique opportunity to work with our development director (fundraiser) and other staff in promoting our Annual Dinner, our major fundraiser for the year.
The ideal intern has a general familiarity with the mission and history of the American Civil Liberties Union as well as general knowledge about the history of civil rights and constitutional law. The ACLU is one of the nation’s premiere defenders of civil rights and civil liberties. Learn more about our ongoing projects.
Qualifications:
ACLU of Michigan interns should have:
- strong organizational, writing, and communication skills;
- commitment to civil liberties and civil rights;
- familiarity with computer databases;
- knowledge and/or experience with event planning helpful;
- a dependable schedule and energetic personality.
Some academic programs allow students to earn credit hours through an ACLU internship during the school year or the summer. Inquire about conditions and availability at your school. Unfortunately, the ACLU of Michigan cannot afford to pay its interns.
Applications:
To apply, please submit a letter of interest including availability, your resume and a writing sample by email to Brenda Bove at bbove@aclumich.org
To learn more about the ACLU of Michigan, go to www.aclumich.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
General Internship
The ACLU of Michigan, the state's premiere defender of civil liberties, is seeking interns and volunteers. We are seeking students from a wide range of disciplines, including public policy, communications, political science, computer science, social work, and law.
An internship with the ACLU provides students with a unique opportunity to experience work in our legal program, legislative program, communications program and development program. Specific projects include general legal intake, addressing specific issues that arise in the state legislature, drafting brochures/flyers, and helping to organize our annual dinner.
The ideal intern has a general familiarity with the mission and history of the American Civil Liberties Union as well as general knowledge about the history of civil rights and constitutional law. Learn more about our ongoing projects.
Qualifications:
ACLU of Michigan interns should have:
• strong organizational, writing, and communication skills;
• demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights;
• familiarity with computer databases;
• a dependable schedule and strong work ethic.
Credit/Fellowship:
Some academic programs allow students to earn credit hours through an ACLU internship during the school year or the summer. Inquire about conditions and availability at your school. Unfortunately, the ACLU of Michigan cannot afford to pay its interns.
Applications:
To apply, please submit a letter of interest including availability, your resume and a writing sample by email to Brenda Bove at bbove@aclumich.org
To learn more about the ACLU of Michigan, go to www.aclumich.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
