The ACLU seeks a Graduate Intern for their Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives Department's (ASNI) Organizational Management, Equity & Inclusion (OMEI) Team of the National ACLU Office in Washington D.C. This internship is remote and can be full-time or part-time.
Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated Graduate students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.
The Team:
The ASNI department builds state capacity and strengthens the connections between the ACLU and its network of 54 state affiliates and their 1,500 staff members across the country. The affiliates’ work constitutes an unparalleled bulwark defending and advancing our civil liberties and civil rights. ASNI staff lead efforts to build program, build organizations, and drive resources to key battles across the country, positioning the nationwide organization for future challenges. The Organizational Management, Equity & Inclusion (OMEI) team is a crucial partner to ACLU affiliates and other leaders in change management, leadership development and organization capacity-building.
Our team (OMEI) strengthens affiliates’ organizational health and impact by providing training, coaching, resources, and learning communities that advance strategic and financial management, governance, leadership, and EDIB-centered culture—while helping affiliates effectively leverage multi-year investments to build long-term capacity and belonging.
What You’ll Do:
The intern will be responsible for collaborating with the OMEI team to ensure that the needs of the affiliate staff are met through learning programs, tools, and resources.
This internship supports the following Focus Areas: Affiliate Organizational Management, Equity, and Inclusion (OMEI)/Affiliate Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) Trainings/departmental goals, "Affiliate Equity Pipeline" (Recruitment and Talent Attraction), Southern Legal Internship Program (SLIP). In this internship you will engage in strategic discussions on a nationwide scale, contributing to our commitment to fostering equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. You will research and share cutting-edge learnings to support a culture of learning and growth in the realm of Organizational Management, Equity, and Inclusion (OMEI)
Your Day to Day
What You’ll Bring:
Future ACLU-ers Will:
Internship Logistics:
Priority Application Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026.
While there is a priority deadline, our project is committed to reviewing all applications on a rolling basis until the closing of posting.
Why the ACLU:
For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.
Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency, and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.
With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
To maintain the integrity of our assessment process, please refrain from using AI-powered chatbots, search engines, or real-time assistance tools to generate your CV, cover letter or writing sample (if required). We want to better understand your individual skills and thought processes. If you require AI tools or other assistive technology as a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Accommodation Request Form so that we can support an accessible and equitable experience.
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
In order to be considered for this position, all candidates must formally submit an application. The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.
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