2026 Summer Associate Opportunity

The firm seeks 1-2 law students to join us for the summer to work on civil rights litigation at the trial and appellate level. We are a women-owned, private public interest law firm in Washington, D.C. with a central mission of seeking accountability for people and communities who have been harmed by systemic inequality and a flawed justice system. Our work covers the justice system from end to end: challenging unconstitutional policing, securing the rights of incarcerated people, seeking accountability for those wrongfully convicted, and addressing inhumane sentencing practices, including the death penalty. We also maintain a commercial docket, though our summer associates work exclusively on our civil rights matters.

We seek students with exceptional research, writing, and critical thinking skills, and a commitment to civil rights and public interest advocacy. At this time, we are only accepting applications from 2Ls.

Summer associates will be given opportunities to take ownership of challenging and cutting-edge projects, including researching and writing briefs filed in trial and appellate courts across the country and assisting with active case discovery. We will also make sure you have the chance to sit in on meetings with clients and co-counsel, attend court proceedings, participate in moot courts, and meet with other civil rights practitioners over the course of the summer. Summer associates will also be encouraged to participate in and contribute to internal meetings where we discuss litigation strategy for existing cases, and assess the viability of potential new cases. 

The internship will be based in Washington, D.C., with flexibility for a hybrid remote work schedule. This position is unpaid but satisfies the criteria for public interest funding for many law schools. Interested applicants should submit a resume, writing sample (10 pages or less; an excerpt is fine), transcript, and brief cover letter highlighting their relevant experience and interests to hello@alilockwood.com. Please combine all application materials into a single PDF before submitting, with the subject line “Last Name, First Name - 2026 SA Position.”

Applications are due by September 2, 2025. We are aiming to finalize hiring by early October. No telephone inquiries, please.