In-House Legal Intern

The Organization and Role

About Access Now

Access Now is an international human rights organization dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world, advocating for privacy, security, freedom of expression, and transparency. By combining technical support, policy engagement, global advocacy, grassroots grantmaking, legal interventions, and RightsCon convenings, we fight for human rights in the digital age. Our policy, advocacy, legal, technology, grants, and operations teams are present in Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East/North Africa (MENA), the Americas, and Asia, to provide global support to our mission.

Access Now’s Legal Arm works to serve and guide the organization’s decision-making processes and policies, provide operational advice, engage in international legal interventions, and to ensure global compliance with local and foreign laws. The Legal Arm exists alongside a highly talented and dynamic group of lawyers, security experts, finance professionals, policy advocates, and technology specialists across the world. We commit to preserving and expanding civic space in the digital age.

Internship Overview

We are seeking a motivated law student who is committed to digital rights for a ten-week summer legal internship. This is a great opportunity for a law student looking to gain experience in the work of in-house counsel, including contracting, international business and sanctions law, employment law, legal risk management, data protection, compliance, and intellectual property. Working with outside counsel, and engaging in strategic legal advising, the Legal Intern will sit within the Legal Arm, while also being exposed to work on net neutrality, data rights, privacy, freedom of expression, digital security, cybersecurity, and human rights led by other arms of the organization. The intern will be provided training and supervision to ensure growth and progress toward a career in law and technology.

What you will do

The Legal Intern can expect the following responsibilities, tasks, and experiences:

• Gain specialized knowledge in human rights, data privacy, and technology.
• Draft legal documents for use by our Grants, Operations, and RightsCon (the world's leading summit on human rights in the digital age) teams.
• Research and evaluate different legal risk factors relating to the organization’s global operations and compliance.
• Assist in drafting and review of key contractual documents, including employment/labor, non-disclosure and confidentiality, and operational agreements.
• Research, write, and edit briefs, publications, and blog posts (with your name on them!).

Skills, education, and mindset you will bring

Access Now seeks a motivated, organized, and reliable individual with an interest in digital rights and eager to work in a fast paced, global civil society organization. Demonstrated research and writing skills are essential, and fluency in a foreign language will certainly help your application. An affinity for contracts, compliance, and international legal work is a plus.

The Details

Location, Duration, Commitment, and Other Considerations

• Full-time commitment
• Ten (10) weeks during Summer 2024
• Expected start date: June 3, 2024 (flexible)
• Stipend may be available if student has not secured separate external funding
• The position is based out of our New York City office, though remote work remains standard practice within Access Now.

Supervision

The Legal Intern will work closely with and be supervised by Access Now’s Legal Counsel, as well as our General Counsel.

Application Requirements

To apply, please submit the following documents:

• Résumé/CV;
• Cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications for the internship;
• Two (2) references (only one (1) may be academic); and
• One (1) writing sample (no more than ten (10) pages).

Our hiring teams review applications submitted through our Career Openings page; email submissions are not accepted. Please note that if you are applying via a link in a 3rd party system (examples: Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn), be sure that you are properly uploading a distinct Cover Letter and a separate CV/Resume.

In order for us to communicate with you on the status of your application, please add apps.bamboohr.com to your contacts list, and check spam or junk folders so that you do not miss updates from us.

We are a global human rights organization committed to inclusivity and equity, and seek the most talented team members who bring their true selves, with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We are interested in receiving applications from people who consider themselves as under-represented in their talent communities. As an equal opportunity employer, we value and encourage diversity and consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status. Our commitment applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.

Published 2023-01-31