2026 Summer Legal Internship

Overview

FIRE’s Summer Legal Internship provides law students with an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to the nation’s leading defender of free expression. This 10-week, paid program offers an $8,000 stipend and runs from June through August. Legal interns work from FIRE’s Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. offices, contributing directly to advocacy and policy projects that shape the national conversation on free speech.

Summer Legal Interns are placed in one of FIRE’s non-litigation advocacy departments, where they support ongoing efforts to defend free expression and academic freedom:

• Campus Rights Advocacy: Investigate free speech violations on college campuses, help draft public-facing commentary, conduct legal research, and participate in voluntary learning sessions on substantive First Amendment law.
• Public Advocacy: Research and respond to threats to free expression beyond the campus, draft advocacy materials, and assist in shaping FIRE’s public commentary.
• Policy Reform: Draft and edit policy analyses for college administrators, research emerging issues in higher education policy, and help advance reforms to improve protections for student and faculty expression.
• Legislative & Policy: Conduct legal research on public policy affecting expressive rights, draft internal bill analyses and public commentary, and monitor legislative developments.

In addition, interns may assist in drafting memos and correspondence, conducting research projects to identify new advocacy targets, and contributing to FIRE’s Newsdesk. Interns also participate in seminars with FIRE leadership and civil liberties experts, gaining deeper insight into free expression issues and public-interest advocacy.

Qualifications

FIRE seeks rising 2Ls and 3Ls with strong academic credentials and a demonstrated interest in civil liberties and public-interest law. Successful applicants will be detail-oriented, collaborative, and passionate about advancing FIRE’s mission to defend freedom of speech, expression, and thought.

The application for FIRE’s Summer Legal Internship opens in early fall and closes in January. Applications are reviewed, and internships awarded, on a rolling basis.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

FIRE is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. 

As part of FIRE's hiring process, all candidates receiving a conditional offer of employment will be required to undergo a background check as permitted by and in compliance with federal, state and local law.