Legal Externships

Job Description

Legal Externships | Americans United for Life

The Tone:
This is an unpaid legal externship opportunity with Americans United for Life (AUL), which can be undertaken either remotely or from its Washington, D.C. office. Americans United for Life is a prominent legal organization dedicated to advocating for the legal protection of human life across its full spectrum, influencing public policy and legal discourse. This role is crucial in supporting AUL’s legal team by providing essential research and drafting capabilities, directly contributing to the organization’s mission to uphold the sanctity of life through legal scholarship and advocacy efforts.

The TL;DR
• Role: Externship
• Type: Unpaid, Part-time (approx. 10 hours/week)
• Location: Remote / Washington, DC
• Mission: Provide legal research and drafting support for AUL’s advocacy on the full spectrum of life issues, contributing to model legislation, amicus briefs, and scholarly publications.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Draft legal documents: Provide comprehensive legal research and drafting support for critical documents such as amicus briefs, model legislation, and various public policy educational materials.
• Conduct specialized research: Investigate and analyze complex legal topics spanning the full spectrum of life issues, including abortion, bioethics, healthcare rights of conscience, and end-of-life considerations.
• Contribute to scholarly publications: Collaborate closely with AUL attorneys to research, draft, and meticulously edit scholarly articles destined for publication in esteemed venues like law reviews, national periodicals, and AUL’s own publications, such as Defending Life.
• Support legal advocacy: Actively contribute to the development of robust legal arguments and educational content that informs and shapes public discourse and policy on life-related issues.
• Maintain a consistent workload: Commit to an average of 10 hours per week, ensuring timely and effective completion of assigned legal tasks and projects.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Current law student demonstrating a clear and strong commitment to the mission and values of Americans United for Life.
• Experience: Candidates are expected to be highly-qualified and motivated individuals prepared for rigorous legal research and drafting work.
• Skills: Possess excellent legal research and writing abilities, alongside demonstrated initiative and keen attention to detail. Additionally, candidates must exhibit the ability to work effectively and independently with minimal direct supervision.