Employment Opportunities
Legal Internships and Externships
Legal Internships and Externships
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is seeking qualified interns or externs for summer or the academic year.
The intern and extern positions will be in a legal department currently staffed with two lawyers and one paralegal and involves significant in-house legal and other support work for the Association. The legal office files amicus briefs in higher education cases of national significance, provides legal information on a wide range of issues to staff and members all over the country, and acts as a resource on higher education issues. Staff and volunteer lawyers are experts in such areas as academic freedom, discrimination, affirmative action, intellectual property, and employment. Interns and externs can expect to be asked to research and write on a variety of legal issues including First Amendment, higher education, collective bargaining, election, tax, labor, personnel, financial, and contract issues.
Past legal interns have helped research and write amicus briefs in the federal court system, updated a multi-state survey on faculty handbooks as employment contracts, and researched and written legal outlines and fact sheets on topics such as “Faculty and Defamation Suits,” “Faculty and Family Leave Issues,” and “Academic Freedom and the First Amendment.” Externs should be in their second or third year of law school and be available to work approximately fifteen hours per week. Summer internships are available to students who have completed their second year of law school. AAUP legal staff will work with interested applicants to arrange for public interest stipends, academic credit or pro bono credit from their law school.
Qualified applicants will possess excellent analytical skills
- strong writing and research skills
- interest in higher education issues
- enthusiasm and initiative
To apply for an externship or internship position, please send a cover letter, resume, official transcript and writing sample to:
AAUP – Legal Department
ATTN: DC Internship Program
1133 19th St. NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036
legal.dept@aaup.org (If applying by email, please address the Subject line as: “DC Internship + Your Name”)
For more information, please see AAUP’s Legal Program.
Nondiscrimination Policy
The AAUP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or other characteristics unrelated to professional performance. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
National AAUP Benefits
Employment at the national AAUP offers many benefits, including
- a collegial workplace;
- a convenient, Metro-accessible location in downtown D.C.;
- generous health, dental, and vision insurance;
- generous amount of annual leave, plus holidays; and
- employer-matched retirement contributions.
Join the AAUP
As an AAUP member, you join forces with colleagues who care about academic freedom and shared governance. You help protect quality higher education and shape the future of our profession. In addition, there are practical benefits such as discounts, insurance programs, and a subscription to Academe
magazine.
Start a Chapter
Active AAUP chapters serve the profession on more than 500 campuses by supporting principles and programs that vitally affect the quality of higher education and professional life. Find out how you can start a chapter at your college or university.
