Democracy 2025 Summer Legal Intern

Position Summary:

Are you a collaborative, detail-oriented, and dynamic law student interested in advancing legal strategies to address threats to our democracy? If so, Democracy Forward Foundation (“Democracy Forward”) is seeking a Legal Intern to support our Democracy 2025 work this summer. Democracy 2025 is Democracy Forward’s infrastructure to support the entire pro-democracy legal movement. 

We are seeking a highly motivated and organized law student to support the Democracy 2025 team at Democracy Forward. This position will be responsible for tracking, analyzing and summarizing new and existing litigation, developing and maintaining legal resources to support partner organizations, supporting internal meetings, and external events.

Democracy Forward’s office is based in Washington, DC. Interns are expected to be in the office an average of 2-3 days per week. The internship program is anticipated to run from May 26, 2026 - July 31, 2026.

The Legal Intern will report to the Democracy 2025 Research Analyst and work closely with all members of the Democracy 2025 team. Applications are due Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Key Responsibilities:

• Litigation Tracking 
• Partner with the Research Analyst to identify, monitor, and update new and existing litigation tracking resources assessing the pro-democracy landscape, including navigating federal and state court dockets with proficiency.
• Update and maintain internal trackers and databases, ensuring that data is accurate, current, and aligned with Democracy 2025 standards.
• Proactively identify and track and analyze litigation developments, relevant current events, and policy changes across key organizations, agencies, and institutions.

• Legal Resource Development:
• Contribute to developing legal resources to support members of the Democracy 2025 coalition, such as litigation memos, practical litigation guides, and other special projects through legal research, written analysis, and identification of anti-democratic threats.
• Synthesize tracked litigation into clear, concise, and actionable summaries and data points for internal and external use.
• Collaborate closely with team members to assess research needs and identify gaps or emerging priorities.

• Internal Support:
• Attend and actively engage in internal team and attorney meetings, providing updates and insights as appropriate.
• Propose ideas for legal research projects and publications based on that research. 
• Attend all Democracy 2025 working group meetings, tracking key developments, trends, and themes across issue areas.
• Provide support for coalition-wide legal trainings, webinars, and convenings, including preparation and follow-up.

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.

• Required:
  • Currently enrolled as a full time student at an accredited law school. 
  • 1–2 years of experience in a writing- or research-intensive role, preferably within a nonprofit organization, academic institution, or fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively and build trusted relationships across teams and departments.
  • Familiarity with legal research tools (e.g., Westlaw) and dockets (e.g., PACER, CourtListener). 
  • Strong writing, communication, time management, and analytical problem-solving skills.
  • Experience with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, etc.) or similar collaboration tools.
  • Well-developed interpersonal skills, including self-awareness, a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

• Preferred:
  
  • Experience in mission-driven, advocacy, or nonprofit environments, particularly in pro-democracy or legal policy organizations.
  • Familiarity with Airtable.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This role may require occasional travel for team retreats, conferences, or organizational meetings.
• This role may involve sitting for extended periods and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed.

The salary for this internship is $10,000 for the summer.