Intern, 2026 Summer Legal (1L)

Atlanta, GA; Jackson, MS; Miami, FL; Montgomery, AL; New Orleans, LA; Washington, DC

The SPLC is seeking highly motivated legal interns who are passionate about civil rights!

The Southern Poverty Law Center offers summer internships to exceptional first- and second-year law students who possess strong academic backgrounds, excellent writing skills, and a commitment to public interest work. The Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. As an internationally recognized nonprofit organization, the Center is dedicated to reducing bigotry and oppression through outreach, education, and litigation. Note: This posting is for 1L students only.

Who You Are

Passionate. Demonstrated passion for advancing civil rights work, social justice issues and interest in supporting our work.

Advocate. Desire to work in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

Driven. Ability to help our attorneys bring litigation and implement community-focused strategies to influence positive change in the lives of children, workers, people impacted by hate and extremism, detained and incarcerated people, and those experiencing or facing economic hardship.

Mission, Vision & Culture Alignment. Demonstrate an awareness for SPLC's mission and vision; a commitment to the ideals of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion; and a dedication to fostering an anti-racist work culture and to anti-racist principles and learning.

What You'll Do

Work on cutting-edge legal issues within one of our five Advocacy and Litigation Impact Teams:

Economic Justice. Through litigation, the EJ team reclaims land and wealth unjustly taken from Black and Brown
communities in the Deep South, and defends the rights of people experiencing homelessness to be sheltered, safe and
housed.
Criminal Legal System Reform. In courts, the CLSR team challenges unconstitutional laws and practices that
reinforce racial inequities in the justice system, and seeks to end inhumane prison conditions and mass incarceration
across the Deep South.
Democracy: Education and Youth. Through litigation and advocacy, the DEY team challenges the school-to-prison
pipeline, which traps young people in a cycle of institutionalization, and opposes censorship and exclusionary policies
in schools.
Democracy: Voting Rights. Through litigation, the DVR team pushes back against racial gerrymandering; challenges
discriminatory tactics to disenfranchise voters; and advocates for Black and Brown communities to fully exercise their
rights at the ballot box.
Inclusion and Anti-Extremism. Using federal, state and local laws, the IAE team brings lawsuits against hate and
extremist groups to cripple their operations, and challenges exclusionary policies aimed at marginalized communities.

Participate in professional development and networking opportunities throughout the summer.

Assist our attorneys with litigation and help to implement community-focused strategies to influence positive change in the lives of children, workers, people impacted by hate and extremism, detained and incarcerated people, and those experiencing or facing economic hardship.

Minimum Qualifications

We are committed to equitable hiring practices; therefore you must meet the minimum qualifications to be considered for the role.

Currently enrolled in a law school as a first-year law student;
Strong academic background; and
Excellent writing skills.

Compensation & Benefits

The Center pays $17.95 per hour. Interns are expected to work 40 hours a week and there may be opportunity for supervisor-approved overtime.

Where & How You'll Work

This role has the following work-designation options:

Local Remote: Will work remotely, but is expected to attend work-related activities that occur at the SPLC offices or in the states in which the SPLC operates.
Telework: Will work at an SPLC office at least three days per week and may work two days per week from an alternative work location.

Other Special Considerations

This job is performed under general office conditions and is not subject to any strenuous physical demands or dangerous conditions.

Due to the high volume of applications received, we are unable to respond to inquiries by telephone.

Interns are expected to begin in early June 2026. A minimum commitment of ten consecutive weeks is expected. We unfortunately are not able to split summers.

Please note that, as Legal Department team members are based throughout the Deep South, interns and team members typically collaborate on projects remotely.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and an unofficial law school transcript by 5:00 PM CST on Monday, February 9, 2026. Students should indicate their location and Advocacy and Litigation Impact Team preferences in their cover letter. If you are a first year law student and you do not have a transcript to provide, please upload a class schedule to show that you are currently enrolled.

Southern Poverty Law Center

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Intern, 2026 Summer Legal (1L)