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WE DO NOT REVIEW APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED THROUGH HANDSHAKE. YOU MUST APPLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) offers a ten-week, paid summer internship as part of our efforts to educate students about their rights at colleges and universities. This internship gives current undergraduates the opportunity to assist FIRE in defending civil liberties on campuses across the country. FIRE interns do substantive work and participate in weekly seminars with FIRE staff and other experts on freedom of expression, due process, and much more. Interns will work at FIRE’s downtown Philadelphia office. The 2025 program will run from June 2–August 8 and interns will receive a stipend of $5,250. Applicants must apply through our website. We do not review applications submitted on other platforms.

FIRE interns:

  • Work closely with our outreach, defense, policy reform, legislation, development, and media teams to assist with research and administrative projects.
  • Assist with the planning and execution of the FIRE Student Network Summer Conference. The FIRE interns will also lead an hour-long session for conference attendees.
  • Assist with planning the Free Speech Forum, FIRE's immersive week-long summer camp for high school students.
  • Contribute to FIRE’s Newsdesk.
  • Learn the foundational arguments for protecting core rights in our free society through reading and discussion in weekly seminars with FIRE’s staff and other experts on civil liberties.
  • Develop activism plans for ensuring open discourse on campus.

Application Procedures

Applicants should submit a cover letter and résumé, and written responses to questions on the application form. Written responses are evaluated not only on answers given, but also on clarity, style, and quality. We encourage applicants to thoughtfully prepare their responses to the questions.

The Summer 2025 internship application will close on Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (ET). Applicants are considered and accepted on a rolling basis. Each year, FIRE receives hundreds of applications for the summer internship, and given the competitive nature of the position, we strongly recommend applicants submit their materials early.

Questions and inquiries about FIRE’s Summer Internship Program can be submitted to internship@thefire.org. 

Qualifications

FIRE is looking for intelligent and energetic undergraduates (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) attending colleges or universities in the United States who are interested in FIRE’s mission and work, and are looking to engage in free speech activism on campus. Ideal candidates are responsible, focused, organized, have a passion for civil liberties, and have a history of taking action in support of causes they believe in. All interns are expected to demonstrate excellent research, writing, and communication skills. The ability to work under pressure and a sense of humor are also important.