2026–28 CONSTITUTIONAL LITIGATION FELLOWSHIP

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is seeking a two-year (Aug./Sep. 2026–Aug./Sep. 2028) Constitutional Litigation Fellow who is committed to civil rights, impact litigation, and upholding core First Amendment protections. Your work will include defending the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and racial and religious minorities against religion-based discrimination and oppression. And you will fight to keep religion out of government—including through challenges to religious activities in public schools, public financing of religious institutions, and government-sponsored religion in the public square.

Americans United is the nation’s leading church-state advocacy organization. For nearly 80 years, we have litigated church-state issues in federal and state courts across the country, with a substantial practice before the federal courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Most of our cases involve novel, cutting-edge First Amendment and other constitutional issues. In recent years, for example, we have litigated lawsuits and submitted amicus briefs challenging or opposing:

• Coercive religious practices in the public schools.
• Religion-based refusals by businesses, foster-care agencies, and government officials to provide services to LGBTQ+ people and religious minorities.
• Efforts to deprive people of access to abortion and contraceptives.
• Public funding of religious education.
• Employment discrimination by religious employers.

Fellows participate in all aspects of litigation before trial and appellate courts. Fellows write briefs, draft pleadings and discovery, work with clients, interview witnesses, participate in settlement negotiations, screen incoming complaints, and assist with development of new cases. Fellows may also have opportunities to take and defend depositions, conduct in-court examinations of witnesses, take part in oral arguments, and do public speaking. Under the close supervision of our experienced litigators, Fellows receive the intensive training in trial and appellate litigation needed to become the next generation of leading impact litigators. Fellows regularly go on to serve as judicial clerks or work for public-interest organizations, government, academia, or plaintiffs’-side civil-rights firms.

Eligibility and Requirements: Third-year law students, recent law-school graduates, and judicial clerks who are committed to advancing the public interest and the separation of religion and government are encouraged to apply. Americans United includes and welcomes people of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions and beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities. Because we work on a wide variety of issues and with many different communities, we value what diversity and diverse perspectives bring to our work.

Compensation: $81,600–$102,000 annually, depending on experience and location. Americans United’s compensation system is described in detail at bit.ly/AuscsCareers; we expect that an annual increase to the posted pay ranges will occur prior to the start of the fellowship. We provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) with match, and commuter subsidy.

This is a full-time, exempt position. This position is within a union; it is included in the bargaining unit represented by AU Collective in connection with SEIU Local 500.

Work Location: Fellows can work remotely from anywhere in the following sixteen states: California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Fellows can also work remotely in Washington, D.C. or locally in our Washington, D.C. office. Occasional in-person attendance at events and meetings in Washington, D.C. will be required, most likely several times per year.

How to Apply: Please submit a cover letter, a resume, a law-school transcript, a writing sample, and a list of three references through our web-based application portal at bit.ly/AUFellowship2026-28. The cover letter should highlight why you want to work with us and what perspectives you would bring to strengthen our practice. The writing sample may be of any length; it should be your best example of comprehensive and detailed legal argument or analysis, should be your own work, and should not be substantially edited by anyone else. If you have any questions about the position, please do not hesitate to contact us at legaljobs@au.org.

Deadline: Open until filled. We encourage you to apply by September 12, 2025.

For more information about Americans United’s legal program, please visit our website at