You: An inquisitive, creative, and self-motivated college junior or senior, graduate student, or recent graduate who knows the principles of liberty and seeks to advance them. You have strong written and oral communication skills and strong data skills and enjoy problem-solving. Your degree is in social science or another discipline with strong emphasis in data analysis training.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources. But fortunately, like all lumbering giants, abusive government is most vulnerable when countered by individuals who act strategically and nimbly, take calculated risks, have each other’s backs, and are confident in and passionate for the cause—the very sort of swashbucklers we employ in spades here at PLF.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 14 victories out of 16 cases litigated at the Court. We also have more than a hundred active cases across the nation.

We are a next-generation public interest law firm. What does “next-generation” mean for a legal nonprofit? It means we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.

Here’s what you get to do in this role:

The Strategic Research Intern will work closely with the Strategic Research and Legal Policy Department. Our research team produces high-quality social science research to support PLF’s mission-driven goals. We coordinate with our litigation, legal policy, and communications teams. This is a paid internship.

This internship provides an opportunity for a wide variety of experiences, including:

• Communicating with public officials to obtain public records.
• Collecting, organizing, and analyzing data using Microsoft Excel or STATA.
• Conducting literature reviews on such topics as regulatory reform, housing supply, property rights, and coastal land rights.
• Developing internal data and literature memos for litigation, communications, or legal policy campaigns.
• Writing blogs or op-eds on topics relevant to PLF’s work.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff work from home offices across the country. You can work physically in any of our offices or request to work virtually.

TO APPLY:

If you think you might be a good fit, submit the following application materials in one PDF.

• Your resume, including your experience in the liberty movement and relevant professional experience.
• A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
• You may also provide an optional writing sample.