UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION
The ACLU seeks an Undergraduate or Graduate Intern in the Advocacy – South Dakota Chapter of the ACLU’s National office in South Dakota.
Priority Application Deadline: October 20, 2023
The Legislative Advocacy Intern position is a unique opportunity for aspiring community organizers and advocates to advance civil liberties and civil rights during the South Dakota legislative session. The successful candidate is comfortable working within communities across the state and shares a voracious dedication to the values upheld by the work of the ACLU SD. Reporting to the Advocacy Manager, the Legislative Advocacy Intern will be instrumental in growing community-driven responses and increasing engagement with South Dakota’s legislative session.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Track the movement of priority legislation through the legislative process
- Conduct research to support the chapter’s legislative agenda
- Monitor committee hearings and floor sessions related to legislative session policy agenda
- Plan and lead community events to educate and mobilize citizen engagement
- Work with coalition partners and student groups to amplify messaging and engagement
- Participate in coalition meetings and phone calls
- Facilitate communication and meetings with stakeholders, legislators, and coalition partners
- Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
- Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
- Demonstrate a commitment to the mission of the ACLU
- Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
- Demonstrate a commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated interest in advocacy, community organizing, and/or public policy
- Ability to prioritize work under tight deadlines
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Actively developing or currently possess a strong sense professionalism; including ability to retain confidential information and exercise discretion
- Ability to think creatively to create compelling outreach tactics
- Strong interpersonal skills including an ability to resolve conflicts in a manner that respect relationships with colleagues and community partners
- Public speaking experience preferred, but not required
- Volunteer management experience preferred, but not required
- Familiarity with the South Dakota legislative process
- Proficiency using diverse technology platforms, including but not limited to; Zoom, Microsoft Office, Outlook
INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW
Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of in-person, remote, or hybrid intern positions. This internship is a hybrid position, open to remote interns from anywhere in South Dakota.
Time Commitment: The internship will be completed on a part-time basis of 20 hours per week.
Internship Duration: Part-time internships span 12 consecutive weeks and begin January 16 or January 29, 2024.
Stipend: A stipend is available for those students who do not receive course credit. Students who receive outside funding are eligible for a partial stipend to bring their total summer funding up to the level of ACLU’s stipend amount for that term, if applicable. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit.
- $20/hour for undergraduate students or equivalent experience and $24/hour for graduate and law students or equivalent experience.
Priority Application Deadline: October 20, 2023
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled, but priority review will be given to applications submitted on or before October 20, 2023.
ABOUT THE ACLU
The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.
For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.
The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.
The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.
The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.