The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana (ACLU of Montana) seeks applications from current law students for its summer Legal Internship Program.
As Legal Intern, you will join a legal team and staff committed to defending Montanans’ civil rights from government abuse and overreach. Interns will have the opportunity to work on a variety of litigation matters and will work alongside the attorneys to address current civil rights issues in the state of Montana.
ABOUT THE ACLU OF MONTANA
The ACLU of Montana (founded in 1972) is an affiliate of the national ACLU (founded in 1920) and operates as a private, independent, non-profit organization. We are the state’s largest and most influential civil rights organization. Our current top priorities are Indigenous Justice, criminal legal reform, 2S-LGBTQIA+ rights, and voting rights. We work on a range of additional issues including reproductive justice, immigrants’ rights, freedom of speech and religion, and informational and digital privacy. The ACLU of Montana envisions a fair, equitable, and free Montana that welcomes and celebrates diversity of all kinds. In our Montana, everybody is treated with dignity and respect, and has equal access to rights and freedoms.
The ACLU of Montana has a current staff of 11 and an office located in Missoula. We aspire to a friendly work environment, with flexibility and consideration of personal needs and circumstances. To learn more about the work of the ACLU of Montana, please visit http://aclumontana.org.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
ACLU of Montana is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a board, staff, and volunteer base with diverse personal and professional backgrounds enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive.
The ACLU of Montana does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, faith, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, tribal affiliation, disability, veteran status, or record of arrest or conviction. We are committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment and one that honors and promotes a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We are engaging in ongoing internal racial equity work, with an emphasis in anti-racism and anti-colonialism.
We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, women, people with disabilities, bi- or multi-lingual (including Indigenous languages) speakers, bicultural individuals, members of the 2S-LGBTQIA+ community, those who have been formerly incarcerated or are currently under supervision, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. We seek to build a team that reflects that diversity. All qualified applicants who share this vision and who have a desire to contribute to our mission are encouraged to apply.
We commit to developing and collaborating on thoughtful training programs and onboarding processes with the Legal Intern that identify an individual’s growth areas, in relation to the job description, and empowers their existing knowledge and skills.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the Legal Department’s attorneys on the following:
• Conducting legal research;
• Drafting memoranda, public records requests, complaints, or other legal documents;
• Researching prospects for new litigation;
• Researching and drafting materials for public education;
• Other projects as assigned.
COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY
The ACLU of Montana is committed to and engaging in ongoing racial equity work with an emphasis on anti-racism and anti-colonialism. As a staff member, you will be asked to commit, contribute and engage in the following ways:
• Demonstrate commitment to building or deepening understanding of equity, in which racial equity and anti-racism and anti-colonialism are centered;
• Engage with the issues of institutional and structural racism and bias and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities.
QUALIFICATIONS
The following experiences are integral to meeting the job responsibilities. Please be sure to identify these in your application materials through lived, professional or volunteer experience, and/or coursework.
• A demonstrated commitment to public interest law and civil rights and liberties;
• Current enrollment in law school and completion of the first year before the internship commences;
• Experience with and demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging with anti-racist, anti-colonialist understandings of and respect for differences of race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance and class.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The ACLU of Montana will offer compensation of $8,160 for a 12-week full-time (40-hours per week) internship. A legal intern eligible for compensation must be based in Montana. The position is currently remote with optional access to the Missoula office, including safety precautions in place for optional and required in-office work. Many of our staff currently work remotely with occasional in-office work since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A monthly reimbursement for personal mobile phone and internet is offered to all working remotely during the pandemic.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
All applications are treated confidentially. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with initial review beginning on November 28, 2023.
Please submit (in pdf format if possible):
1. A cover letter (please indicate where you saw this internship posting)
2. Resume
3. A short writing sample (no more than 10 pages in length)
4. A list of three references
Email your application to jobs[at]aclumontana.org. Please reference “Legal Internship Application” in the subject line of your email.
Applicants with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing to jobs[at]aclumontana.org to request reasonable accommodation at the time of application.
This posting provides a general but not comprehensive list of the opportunities of the internship. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the posting at any time without advance notice.
PROCESS
Our hiring process is managed by a dedicated hiring committee of three and our HR & people team. The committee will begin careful review of all applications on November 28, 2023. The steps for finalist selection include a screening call by HR staff, in-person interview (via videoconferencing) with the hiring committee, reference calls for the selected finalist, decision and making a job offer to the finalist candidate by December 15, 2023. We commit to regular communication with all applicants throughout the process, will apprise candidates of next steps as appropriate, and will promptly communicate any change in timeline above.
To learn more about the work of the ACLU-MT, please visit http://aclumontana.org.
