Fall 2026 Graduate Intern, Executive Office- Strategy

The ACLU seeks a Graduate Intern in the Executive Department (Strategy Office) of the National ACLU Office in New York. This is a part-time Remote or Hybrid position.

Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated graduate students and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.

The Team:

The ACLU works on some of the most pressing civil rights and civil liberties issues facing American society today. The Strategy Office is charged with working with leadership to set the direction of the organization and supporting the ACLU to work in a coordinated way to protect and advance civil rights and civil liberties in the United States. The office resides within the Executive Department, the visionary center of leadership of the nation’s primary defender of civil liberties. The Executive Department manages the strategy and mission driving the ACLU’s 600+ employees and $350M+ plus operating budget.

What You’ll Do:

The intern will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working with various members of the Strategy Office on multiple projects. The intern will be joining the Strategy Office at a pivotal time – when we will be responding to the actions of the Trump administration in support of civil rights and liberties and engaging in longer term strategic planning for the next four years. The intern will support the Strategy Office to ensure integrated strategic planning, promote clear cross-ACLU communication, and remove barriers or pursue opportunities to support our strategic objectives.

Your Day to Day

• Support annual planning and budgeting processes and internal communications
• Support election safeguarding and rapid response preparations to drive alignment and efficiency in ensuring a free and fair election
• Coordinate data collection on key programmatic and strategic metrics and analyze and identify learnings
• Conduct analysis on external trends
• Provide support in logistics and agenda setting for leadership retreats
• Draft memos, emails, and presentations and support agenda-setting, note taking and project planning for Strategy Office initiatives

What You’ll Bring:

• Exceptional organizational, planning and project management skills and the flexibility to manage multiple priorities and prioritize effectively against simultaneous demands
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrated ability to speak and write in a clear, succinct and persuasive manner
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills and ability to distill information into insights and recommendations
• Ability to work proactively in an ambiguous, yet dynamic and fast-paced environment
• Strong interpersonal skills that contribute to a collaborative working environment

Future ACLU-ers Will:

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflict

Internship Logistics: