Summer 2027 Civil Rights Legal Internship

Legalinternsfunctionasapartofaninterdisciplinaryteamandcoordinatewithattorneysand staff to support ArchCity Defenders’ mission and expand our reach. A successful intern needs to be assertive,independent,persistent,empathetic,proactive,flexible,andself-directed.Theywill needtotakeinitiative,useproblem-solvingskills,seeprojectsthroughtocompletion,and become a strong advocate for themselves and others. 

Undergraduatestudentsparticipatinginlegalinternshipswillnotreceivethesametypesof assignmentsaslawstudents.Theinternwillbeabletoengageinsomeresearchanddrafting butwillspendmoretimeondiscovery,documentreview,investigation,andadministrative work. Undergraduate students are also encouraged to attend and observe court proceedings with staff attorneys. Please note that we are only able to host 1-2 undergraduate legal interns each term. 

Qualifications: 

• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills 
• Excellent legal research and writing skills 
• Detail-oriented approach to working in a team-driven organization 
• High capacity for problem solving and self-direction and the ability to work independently within time constraints 
• Flexible and able to respond appropriately to ACD’s changing needs 
• Commitment to racial and economic justice and systems change
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity toward diverse populations; awareness of structures of power, privilege, and oppression 

The Summer 2027 internship cohort will work alongside ACD staff members in our headquarters at the Northside Movement Center in St. Louis. The interns will have opportunities to interact with community partners, clients, and the community, to attend legal and organizing skill training sessions, to participate in community events, have small group learning opportunities, and more.

Important Internship Information:

• We host unpaid internships. However, we may provide interns with a stipend of up to $4200 if they are not able to obtain funding from their school or other programs.
• We plan to host Summer 2027 interns and practicum students in person, and they are required to work at our office at 5939 Goodfellow in North St. Louis City. That plan is subject to change to remote work at any time due to public health requirements, work locations and expectations, and school-related policies and procedures.
• There is a mandatory, in-person orientation from June 1-June 4, 2027. (There may be start date exceptions for students still in school.)
• Summer 2027 interns and practicum students must be able to work for ACD from June 1-July 30. Interns may stay beyond July 30 but cannot end their internship before that date. 
• Interns are expected to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday in person (or in court or the community with staff) and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays in person or remotely.
• Due to the potential for conflicts of interest (among other reasons), we are not able to accept interns or practicum students who seek to simultaneously engage in more than one internship while working with ACD. 
• ArchCity Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, LGBTQIA+, and gender non-conforming applicants.

Cover Letter & Writing Sample Submission Instructions:

• Please submit your cover letter as a single PDF file that includes your cover letter followed by a writing sample.
• Your writing sample should illustrate your professional writing ability. While we're not looking for a specific “type” of sample or number of pages, it is ideal to submit a sample that is relevant to the role you are applying for. You may attach an existing piece of work or something newly drafted to the end of your cover letter.