Spring Semester Legal and Public Policy Clerkships

Position Overview

American Atheists seeks highly motivated individuals to serve as law clerks. Law clerks will work either in person or remotely and report to the Legal staff of American Atheists in our Washington, DC office and will focus on tasks within the legal & public policy departments.

Under the direction of the Vice President of Legal and Policy, State Policy Manager, and Litigation Counsel, the law clerks will complete tasks to support the mission of American Atheists by providing assistance with case management, research, client relations, state-level advocacy, administrative advocacy, and other similar tasks. An effective law clerk will play a major role in the continued success of American Atheists’ legal and policy work.

American Atheists operates in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment and qualified individuals will be required to adapt to new challenges as they arise. All law clerks will have areas of primary responsibility, but are often required to be generalists and work creatively to address the ever-changing challenges associated with our work.

• Research and write advocacy resources, testimony, comments, and memos about legal and public policy issues being addressed by American Atheists.
• Support American Atheists’ ongoing litigation activities to protect the separation of religion and government.
• Track legislation, administrative rules, and other relevant policy at the state and federal levels.
• Monitor, track, and summarize legal policy developments relevant to the organization’s mission and activities.
• Attend meetings with coalition partners, members of Congress, and executive branch agencies with American Atheists staff.

• Currently enrolled in law school. 1L, 2L, or 3L students may apply.
• Excellent writing, editing, and research skills are a must.
• Ability to meet short deadlines in a fast-paced, time-sensitive work environment.
• Ability to work in collaboration with a team while taking initiative and working independently once given direction.
• Ability to handle sensitive information, including court cases, public relations strategy, and pending announcements with discretion and integrity.
• Experience with the Adobe Suite, Microsoft Suite, and other creative tools a plus.

The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in the separation of religion and government, support American Atheists’ mission to ensure equality for atheists, and have exceptional writing and research skills.

These are remote or in-person, part- or full-time internships. The specific schedule is negotiable. Law clerks may choose to be paid the Washington, DC minimum wage or, if eligible, receive law school credit hours. American Atheists will work with qualified and passionate candidates to ensure that the duties of this position align with their interests, skills, and experience.