2026 Policy Internships
Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Sacramento, Washington DC
Founded in 1968, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) is the nation's leading, nonprofit Latino civil rights organization. MALDEF is dedicated to protecting and promoting the civil rights of the more than 40 million Latinos living across the United States through advocacy, community education, and litigation. MALDEF currently focuses its efforts in the following program areas:
Education, Employment, Immigrants' Rights, Political Access, and Public Resources Equity.
Policy Interns Conduct Client Intake Interviews, Perform Policy Research and Draft Policy Memoranda, Attend Depositions and Court Hearings, Assess Legislation and Public Policy Initiatives, and Provide Litigation Support to the Regional Counsel and Staff Attorney(s).
Duration: Fall/Winter/Spring: 1 semester/quarter, 15 hours per week. Summer: 10 weeks, 40 hours per week (Can vary depending on fellowship or work-study guidelines)
Compensation: Generally, not available. Interested applicants should apply for public interest fellowships or work-study funds through their law school.
To Apply: Send cover letter, résumé, and 3 to 5 page writing sample by email to: jobs@maldef.org. Please include the following in the subject line of your email:
Your Name - Location Term Policy Internship (Examples: Juana Cortez - LA Spring 2026 Policy Internship, James Brown - CHI Summer 2026 Policy Internship, John Smith - SA Fall 2026 Policy Internship, Chris Lee - SAC Winter 2026 Policy Internship, Jordan Garcia - DC Spring 2026 Policy Internship)
Attachments should be in .doc, docx, .rtf, .txt or .pdf format. A separate internship application package is required for each office for which you wish to be considered. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Deadline: Summer internship applicants must submit materials by no later than March 1, 2026. Internships filled on a rolling basis. Early applicants receive first consideration. A limited number of positions are available.
MALDEF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, visit: www.maldef.org/about/career-opportunities. Follow us on Twitter: @maldefjobs. Friend us on Facebook: Maldef HR.