Legal Internship - Summer 2027

The American Immigration Council (the Council) is looking for a qualified law student to join the legal department as an externally-funded intern for 37.5 hours per week for a minimum of eight weeks in the summer of 2027. The internship is a remote position and requires the intern to be funded externally or to receive academic credit for the internship.

We Are . . .

The Council works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts towards immigrants and immigration and by working toward a more fair and just immigration system that opens its doors to those in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring.

The Council’s Legal Department is staffed by experienced immigration lawyers who play a leading role in immigration litigation across the country. In line with the mission of the Council, the Legal Department pursues legal strategies to limit unfair enforcement policies, protect due process rights and ensure a fair immigration process, reduce restrictions in business immigration, and obtain data and other government records.

The Legal Department:

• Conducts impact litigation, including class actions and other affirmative lawsuits against the immigration agencies
• Appears as amicus curiae in cases before the federal courts and administrative tribunals
• Files and litigates Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests
• Engages in administrative advocacy
• Issues practice advisories and other resources for immigration lawyers

What You’ll Learn:

In this internship, you will learn how to develop and litigate immigration litigation from experienced attorneys and see how such litigation fits into broader advocacy and communication efforts to improve the immigration system. 

Intern assignments will likely include legal research, legal drafting (research memos, pleadings, briefs, or practice advisories), document review and summarizing, and cite checking legal pleadings. Interns will also participate in Department discussions about ongoing litigation and litigation that is in development. Interns may also have the opportunity to help with client calls and plaintiff screenings and write a blog post on an immigration law development for a nonlegal audience.

This opportunity is well suited for a dynamic, self-directed law student with strong research and writing skills and a demonstrated commitment to social justice and immigrant rights. Prior immigration law or advocacy experience, coursework, or clinical experience is preferred.

Compensation:

This internship is unpaid and is contingent upon the intern securing external funding or academic support to participate. The American Immigration Council will not provide salary or stipend.

Application Process:

Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

Apply for this role:

The Council encourages individuals who have been impacted by the immigration and/or criminal legal systems, as well as bilingual candidates, to apply.

The American Immigration Council is an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to treating all applicants and employees without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religious creed, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, military and veteran status, citizenship and immigration status, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This equal employment opportunity commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to, advertising, recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, demotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination.

The Council believes that diversity is a strength. The Council is committed to being a safe, respectful, and inclusive space, where a broad range of viewpoints and experiences are encouraged and every member of its staff and board is given the opportunity to thrive.