Litigation Extern, Fall 2025

Title: Litigation Extern, Fall 2025 

Reports to: Litigation Attorney

Hours: Hours per week will depend on school requirements

Location: Remote (in the contiguous United States) 

For more than 30 years, the legal experts at GIFFORDS Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence have been fighting for a safer America. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, GIFFORDS Law Center researches, drafts, and defends the laws, policies, and programs proven to save lives from gun violence. With over 40,000 gun deaths in the US every year, this uniquely American crisis leaves no community untouched—but it doesn’t have to be this way. From universal background checks to community-based violence intervention strategies, we know how to end gun violence, and we won’t rest until the promise of a safe and just country is a reality for every person and community in America.

We seek motivated candidates for our 2025 fall externship program to join our Litigation team. Applicants must be current law students in their second or third year of law school. Strong applicants will have excellent research, analysis, and writing skills and a strong desire to learn tangible legal skills while contributing to our team’s mission. 

GIFFORDS Law Center is committed to assembling a diverse staff and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage people of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations, as well as veterans and those with disabilities, to apply. GIFFORDS Law Center believes that diversity and inclusion among our staff are critical to our mission to change policies, challenge injustice, and save lives.

The fall litigation externship program is designed to accommodate law school programs that provide course credit for externships. We will work with the applicant’s school to accommodate any programming restrictions or requirements. 

This externship will be entirely remote. 

Applications are due by June 22, 2025. Due to the high volume of applicants, please refrain from making phone calls or emails.

The Litigation Externship Program:

Our externship program allows law students to work on a major litigation on key issues related to public safety, public policy, and Constitutional law. Externs will gain significant experience with writing, research, analysis, and the litigation process, and can expect to work with attorneys on projects in the following areas: 

• Affirmative Litigation: Work may include research, analysis, and writing to support the development of new affirmative litigation theories and the drafting of legal filings; legal interns may also have the opportunity to meet and work with our co-counsel and other partners in the private bar, advocacy organizations, and government.
• Amicus Briefs: Work may include research, analysis, and drafting support for our amicus brief program: we file briefs on a range of topics in major cases that impact gun violence and firearms law and policy.
• Scholarship: Work may include helping to prepare for an annual symposium held by Giffords Law Center to showcase cutting edge research related to gun violence prevention, and generally support efforts to promote and engage with scholarship in this space.
• Print Publications and Website: Work may also include contributing to the development of GIFFORDS Law Center’s print publications and internet-based materials, which track and analyze developments in litigation, including especially Second Amendment cases, that impact firearms law, and provide in-depth information on GIFFORDS Law Center’s litigation work. 
• Other: The extern will also participate as an integrated member of the legal staff, attend team meetings as their school schedule allows, and receive constructive feedback about work products from supervising attorneys. 

Required knowledge, skills, and experience:

• Current 2L or 3L law student located in the contiguous United States
• Excellent writing and legal analysis skills
• High organization skills & ability to meet deadlines
• Interest in working in cutting edge litigation in a fast-paced environment
• Shares GIFFORDS Law Center’s goal to save lives from gun violence
• Share GIFFORDS Law Center’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism (IDEA)

Applying + the Interview Process:

To apply, please submit:

• Your resume
• A cover letter of no more than 450 words that includes a sentence outlining any school deadlines you may have for obtaining an externship and your interest in working with GIFFORDS Law Center (including any relevant life or work experience), law school transcript (unofficial is fine)
• Contact information for two references, and 
• A writing sample (described below).

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The application deadline is June 22, 2025. 

Writing Sample: Please answer ONE of the following questions in 250 words:  
1. What do you hope to learn from an externship working on gun violence prevention litigation?

OR

2. How do you think litigation fits into the movement to end gun violence?

Please label all documents: FirstName_LastName_DocumentName (e.g., Jay_Doe_CoverLetter) 

GIFFORDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion. People of color, trans individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, women, people with differing abilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

GIFFORDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. People of color, trans individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, women, people with differing abilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.