The ACLU seeks a Graduate Product Design intern in the Technology and Analytics Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York City. This internship can be full-time or part-time/remote or hybrid.
Qualifying applicants must currently be matriculated graduate students or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience and must be based in the U.S. for the entire duration of the internship.
The Team:
The ACLU’s Technology & Analytics team partners with departments across the ACLU in order to build and maintain innovative, robust and secure digital products and technical systems that accelerate the ACLU’s mission as our nationwide guardian of rights and liberties. We are a team of Engineers, Designers, Product Managers, Data Scientists, and Administrators who take pride in creating technical solutions that help raise money, get our message out in the world, mobilize our supporters, and manage our data with integrity.
What You’ll Do:
The Product Design internship will be an opportunity to contribute to the web and mobile experiences that drive audience engagement, action, and giving. You'll work with a cross-functional group of Designers, Product Managers and Engineers to research, design, prototype, and deliver compelling digital experiences that help the broader public understand the work the ACLU is doing and understand how they can support it.
Your Day to Day
- Create: Design and document wireframes, prototypes, mid-to-high fidelity visual and interaction designs, and web elements (design system components) for web and mobile experiences.
- Research: Participate in research and synthesis of feedback from our constituents and stakeholders to make minor and major improvements to our products.
- Collaborate: Engage with ACLU Product Designers in brainstorms and design critiques, and support projects as needed. .
- Test: Participate in Quality Assurance testing for components and features before launch, including testing for accessibility compliance.
- Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
What You’ll Bring:
This internship is geared towards designers who are in or recently completed graduate school in a relevant field. Interns should possess the following:
- A portfolio showcasing examples of relevant digital product design work.
- A systems-first, problem-solving mindset with the ability to transform complex problems into scalable UX features and solutions.
- Strong skills in the areas of UX design, UI design, digital interactions, and accessibility best practices.
- Excellent collaboration and presentation skills.
- Familiarity with and interest in contributing to Design Systems.
- Experience designing user-centered experiences for the web, across device types, from early concepts to final delivery.
- Ability to create low and high-fidelity designs, user flows, and documentation/specs in Figma. Experience with prototyping in Figma is a plus.
- Please Note: the ACLU Product Design Team does not currently use AI-powered design or research tools in our processes. We expect all applicants to be proficient in their work without AI support or tooling.
Future ACLU-ers Will:
- Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
- Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
- Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflict
Internship Logistics:
- Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship can be full-time/part-time and hybrid/remote from our New York City office.
- Time Commitment: Part-time (10,15 or 20hrs/wk) or Full-time (35hrs/wk) Please indicate your availability in your cover letter.
- Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks; Part-time internships span 12 consecutive weeks. This internship has a start date of: Jan. 11th or Jan. 25th, 2027
- Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit.
- Below is the stipend rate:
- $20/hr for undergraduate students or equivalent experience
- $24/hr for graduate students or equivalent experience
Why the ACLU:
For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.
Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency, and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.
With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
To maintain the integrity of our assessment process, please refrain from using AI-powered chatbots, search engines, or real-time assistance tools to generate your CV, cover letter or writing sample (if required). We want to better understand your individual skills and thought processes. If you require AI tools or other assistive technology as a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Accommodation Request Form so that we can support an accessible and equitable experience.
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
In order to be considered for this position, all candidates must formally submit an application. The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.
