Fall 2025 Legal Clerkship

Overview

FIRE offers a 15-week, course-credited, in-semester Legal Clerkship for law students looking for hands-on experience working for a dynamic, nonpartisan, civil liberties organization. Clerks work with FIRE attorneys part-time during the academic year conducting legal research in emerging areas of law; developing arguments for active cases; preparing various litigation documents for active cases; reviewing university policies and legislative proposals; and much more.

Our Legal Clerks will be assigned to work with the following teams:

Litigation: Litigation law clerks will assist our litigators working up new cases and litigating existing lawsuits defending the freedom of speech, primarily through legal research, writing, and strategy discussions. Law clerks will gain practical knowledge of federal litigation, learn more about public-interest litigation specifically, and deepen their understanding of substantive First Amendment law.

Campus Rights Advocacy: The Campus Rights Advocacy Legal Clerk will assist the department’s non-litigation advocacy efforts in defending free speech and due process on college and university campuses. Responsibilities will include investigating potential violations of expressive rights and due process, conducting legal research, reviewing advocacy letters, and drafting public-facing commentary on topical free speech issues. Legal Clerks should expect to have some administrative responsibilities as well. Legal Clerks will also have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of substantive First Amendment law by attending voluntary learning sessions.

Public Advocacy: The Public Advocacy Legal Clerk will support the department’s non-litigation advocacy defending free speech off campus. Responsibilities will include investigating potential violations of expressive rights, conducting legal research, reviewing advocacy letters, and drafting public-facing commentary on topical free speech issues.

Policy Reform: The Policy Reform Clerk would aid the Policy Reform team in its work to improve the written regulations on student and faculty expression at our nation’s colleges. Their duties would include drafting and editing policy analysis and recommendations for college administrators, researching emerging issues affecting regulations on expression, and providing input on best practices for building a better foundation for campus speech through a college’s policies and programs.

Legislative & Policy: The Legislative & Policy department lobbies lawmakers to advance FIRE’s positions on policy issues related to free speech. Their duties will include legal research on public policy issues affecting expressive rights, drafting internal bill analyses and public commentary, and monitoring legislative developments.

Legal Clerks have the opportunity to work in FIRE’s Philadelphia office, D.C. office, or remotely.

The 2025 fall-semester clerkship application will be open from May 9 to July 11. Applicants will be received and awarded clerkships on a rolling basis.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

To qualify for FIRE’s Legal Clerkship, candidates must:

FIRE Legal Clerks are responsible for working with FIRE attorneys on several fronts: conducting legal research in emerging areas of law, developing arguments for active cases, preparing various litigation and advocacy documents for active cases, reviewing college and university policies and legislative proposals, and much more. FIRE accepts applications from candidates across the United States.

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