The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Drug Law Reform Project seeks highly motivated law students for internship positions for the summer of 2008.

OVERVIEW
America’s foremost advocate of civil rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, is a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920. With national offices in New York and Washington and 53 affiliates throughout the country, the ACLU is one of the nation’s premier public interest law firms.

Founded in 1998, the Drug Law Reform Project is a division of the national ACLU. Our goal is to end punitive drug policies that cause the widespread violation of constitutional and human rights, as well as unprecedented levels of incarceration.

The Project plays a unique role as the only national litigation program addressing the broad range of civil rights and civil liberties violations arising from America’s drug policies. We have three programs that focus on central aspects of the war on drugs: (1) racial disparities in drug enforcement and incarceration, (2) punishment of marijuana users, and (3) other government abuses of power in national and state-wide drug policy. The Project works on areas of drug policy that inflict serious harms on individuals and communities.

The Project brings “impact” lawsuits throughout the country. We are currently litigating constitutional and statutory claims in federal courts, state courts, and administrative agencies concerning the following issues, among others:

Project attorneys have argued cases in the United States Supreme Court, numerous courts of appeals, and trial courts throughout the country. For more information, please visit our web site at www.aclu.org/drugpolicy.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Project’s interns will assist in all aspects of the Project’s litigation docket. The work can include the full panoply of appellate and district-court litigation, including assisting with the drafting of briefs and motions for litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, courts of appeals, and trial courts; conducting discovery; meeting with clients; preparing expert and percipient witnesses for courtroom testimony; and devising new litigation. Some travel may be required.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants should be self-motivated and have a demonstrated commitment to public interest, civil rights, and civil liberties issues. Although no specialized experience with drug issues is required, such experience would be desirable. Applicants also should have excellent writing and communication skills, as well as the initiative and drive to see projects through to completion. The position is open to 1L, 2L, and 3L students.

COMPENSATION
Students are encouraged to seek funding from outside sources, including, but not limited to, work-study stipends. However, should funding be unavailable, the intern will be eligible for a stipend provided by the project.

HOW TO APPLY
Please send a cover letter, resume, the names and phone numbers of at least two references, and a legal writing sample to:

Carlie A. Ware
Legal Internship Coordinator
ACLU Drug Law Reform Project
1101 Pacific Ave., Suite 333
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

We strongly encourage second- and third-year law students to apply no later than November 1, 2007, and first-year law students to apply no later than January 15, 2008.

Please indicate in your cover letter where you found this job posting.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.

The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”