U.S. State Policy and Advocacy 2025 Summer Legal Associate

Title: U.S. State Policy and Advocacy 2025 Summer Legal Associate

Department: US Programs, State Policy and Advocacy Team

Center Background: The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 230+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has fueled the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of more than $50 million and won the respect of law firms worldwide. Our global pro bono network includes over 2,100 lawyers across 6 continents, 88 countries, and 125 law firms, contributing over $30 million USD in pro bono legal services annually. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. To learn more about the Center, please go to www.reproductiverights.org

The Role: The State Policy and Advocacy Team is looking for an enthusiastic, resourceful, and highly organized law student summer associate with a commitment to reproductive rights to engage in a variety of projects related to state legislative policy and advocacy. This internship will provide the successful candidate with experience in the day-to-day operations of a public interest law organization with a dynamic in-house state policy and advocacy team. The intern will have opportunities to participate in legislative tracking, research, legal and legislative analysis, and coalition advocacy. 

The Summer Legal Associate position is full-time for up to 10 weeks. It will be hybrid (3 days in-office, 2 days working from home) in a Center office, with a preference for N.Y., although D.C. placement may be possible. Covid-19 Vaccination is required for all U.S.-based employees of the Center.

Primary Responsibilities:

The scope of the internship will include, but is not limited to: 

• Monitoring, tracking and analyzing state legislation and other state policy developments related to abortion rights and other reproductive rights issues; 
• Assisting State Policy and Advocacy team members with creating policy and advocacy materials, including bill summaries and analyses for use in technical assistance, outreach, and other activities;  
• Conducting legal research, citation checks for public-facing materials, and prepare memos on newly enacted laws;
• Working with members of the State Policy and Advocacy team on additional legislative, advocacy, and research projects.

Qualifications: 

• Completed at least one year of law school by June 2025; 
• Strong legal research and writing skills;
• Demonstrated interest in legislative policy work, public interest, gender justice, and/or reproductive rights, health, and justice; and
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing underrepresented viewpoints in the workplace and in work product -- including along dimensions of race, wealth/income/economic background, education, age, religion, geography, sexuality, gender identity and expression, and/or life experience.

Compensation: Summer Legal Associates are highly encouraged to seek outside funding for their placement. The Center will supplement external funding to bring all Associates to our pay rate of $7,000 for the ten-week program.

How to Apply: Please complete the application below to apply. The application must include the following materials as attachments to be considered:

• Resume
• Cover Letter: Please include a cover letter discussing your qualifications, interest in reproductive rights, and the perspectives and experiences that are important to you and/or relevant to the Center’s work.
• References: Please include two references, including the person’s name, organizational affiliation and title, and contact information.
• Law School Transcript
• Writing Sample: Please include a writing sample of no more than 10 pages.

Priority Deadline for applications: January 17, 2025. Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role but unsure about whether your experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. To learn more about the Center’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights.

Center policy on visa sponsorship for U.S.-based positions: Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by The Center for Reproductive Rights.

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