The American Civil Liberties Union is the largest and oldest organization in the United States dedicated to protecting the civil liberties of all people in this nation through litigation, public education, advocacy, and organizing. The ACLU litigates high-impact cases addressing a wide range of constitutional and civil rights issues, including criminal law reform, immigrants’ rights, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, sex discrimination, freedom of speech, religious freedom, reproductive freedom, voting rights, police misconduct, prisoners’ rights, and privacy. The ACLU of Michigan, with approximately 40 staff, is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the state.

Fall interns with the ACLU of Michigan have a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge civil liberties and civil rights cases. In addition to a vibrant and innovative caseload, the ACLU of Michigan offers legal interns a rewarding experience, including opportunities to attend court hearings, social activities, supervision and mentorship.

Some of our recent litigation includes:

• a statewide lawsuit to enjoin Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban and affirm the fundamental right to abortion under the state constitution
• a U.S. Supreme Court case on behalf of a woman who was fired from her job when she disclosed to her employer that she is transgender
• a groundbreaking settlement to overhaul Detroit’s broken cash bail system and build a model for the state
• a series of major lawsuits to prevent the Trump administration from mandatorily detaining immigrants residing in Michigan
• a federal lawsuit to obtain safe drinking water for the people of Flint
• a U.S. Supreme Court case on behalf of a five-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who was not allowed to bring her service dog to school
• a class action lawsuit to reform special education in Flint after the entire population was exposed to lead
• a state constitutional challenge to Michigan’s practice of sentencing children to life in prison with and without the possibility of parole

Please see our website for more information on our current and past case dockets: https://www.aclumich.org/en/our-work/legal-dockets.

Internship Overview

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. In the fall of 2026, it is likely (though not guaranteed) that the student intern will have the opportunity to work on issues relating to the November 2026 election and the voting rights of Michiganders.

Locations: Internships are available at our Detroit headquarters and our West Michigan Regional Office in Grand Rapids. In your cover letter, please indicate whether you have a geographic preference. Interns may also be permitted to work remotely depending on needs of the department.

Qualifications:

• Must have finished first year of law school
• Excellent research, writing and communication skills
• Commitment to civil rights and civil liberties
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; must value and respect differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socio-economic circumstance
• Students who have studied constitutional law are preferred

Supervision: Legal interns will be supervised by the legal director, deputy legal director, staff attorneys, and legal fellows. They may also be asked to assist a cooperating attorney on a pending case or to work with other ACLU staff or coalition partners.

Commitment: Our fall internship requires at least a 15 hour per week commitment.

Stipend: We encourage all applicants to seek public interest fellowship funds through their law school. If you are unable to secure funding from your law school for a public interest internship, the ACLU can provide funding to make this opportunity more feasible for law students who would otherwise be required to seek paid employment over the semester. Please indicate in your cover letter if you are interested in ACLU funding.

Applications: Applications are considered on a rolling basis starting on July 1, 2026, so interested students should apply as early as possible, and in any case no later than August 1, 2026. Please email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to:

American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan
pmayor@aclumich.org
2966 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 578-6823

Please include in the email subject line: last name, first name, and “Fall 2026 Legal Internship Application”

To learn more about the ACLU, go to www.aclumich.org or www.aclu.org. The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.