Litigation Intern — Spring 2025

This internship will be based in Philadelphia, PA or Washington, DC and begin in the Spring of 2025. The hours and exact start and end dates are flexible to fit the intern’s academic calendar.
 

About FIRE

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought. Please visit www.thefire.org to gain a sense of our work and mission.

Position Description

FIRE is looking for passionate, team-oriented, and driven undergraduates (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) attending colleges and universities in the United States.

FIRE offers a fast-paced and exciting work environment. Working at the headquarters of a national nonprofit, the student will be immersed in the general functions of running the office while learning about civil liberties in higher education from professional free speech advocates.

FIRE is seeking an energetic undergraduate Litigation Intern to aid with the organization’s varied activities by taking on responsibilities including, but not limited to:

• Performing day-to-day operations such as answering the phones, sending mail, managing inventory, and assisting with the general organization of the office.
• Circulating and updating the Litigation team via email on administrative items including the meeting agenda, docket, six-month timeline, availability tracker, review schedule, and digest.
• Vetting candidates for litigation positions on JazzHR and updating the respective spreadsheet. 
• Updating various spreadsheets on an as-needed basis.
• Proofreading documents on an as-needed basis.
• Printing, assembling, and shipping binders as needed for oral arguments and motions for summary judgment.

FIRE provides many educational opportunities such as the opportunity to work with FIRE’s leadership and other experts on civil liberties in education. The Litigation Intern will have a well-rounded experience that familiarizes the individual not only with FIRE’s activities, but also with the moral and intellectual foundations of FIRE’s work.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have:

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent computer skills (Mac) including knowledge of MS Office and the Google/Gmail platform.
• An understanding of and enthusiasm for FIRE’s mission. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• The ability to work independently. 
• The ability to work under pressure. 

Preferred qualifications:

• Previous administrative assistance or office management work experience. 
• Experience that demonstrates a strong commitment to FIRE’s mission.
• Data entry experience. 
• Previous experience working for a nonprofit. 
• Strong copy editing skills. 
• Student leadership experience.

Students will be evaluated at regular intervals. Highly successful candidates may be invited back for future intern experiences or may be offered a part-time position, however, further employment is not guaranteed.