FIRE's 10-week, paid Summer Internship Program gives undergraduate students a hands-on opportunity to defend civil liberties and advance free speech. Interns work full-time (40 hours per week) at FIRE's Philadelphia office, in person only, from Tuesday, June 1 through Friday, August 6, 2027. Interns receive a $6,400 stipend, plus additional compensation for their work as counselors during FIRE's Free Speech Forum. Housing and transportation are the intern's responsibility. The program is highly competitive: FIRE typically selects 8-12 interns from hundreds of applicants.
Responsibilities: Interns work closely with FIRE's student development, defense, policy reform, legislation, development, and media teams on research and administrative projects. They help plan and run the FIRE Student Network Summer Conference in Philadelphia in July 2027 and lead educational and interactive sessions for attendees. They serve as residential counselors during the Free Speech Forum, providing supervision, mentorship, and facilitation of educational activities centered on free speech. They may contribute to FIRE's Newsdesk. They take part in weekly seminars with FIRE staff and leading experts on civil liberties and freedom of expression, and receive mentorship.
Qualifications: FIRE is seeking passionate, team-oriented, and driven undergraduate students with a strong interest in free speech and civil liberties. The internship is open to rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors attending colleges or universities in the United States. It is not open to high school students, graduate students, law students, or international students. Candidates need excellent research, writing, and communication skills. Strong candidates are responsible, organized, and eager to take initiative. They are willing to engage with ideas and viewpoints they may agree with, can work under pressure, are collaborative and open to feedback, and have a sense of humor. Prior camp counselor, resident adviser, teaching, coaching, or mentoring experience can strengthen an application but is not required. Interns must be available for the entire program, as start and end dates are not flexible.
Closing date: 2027-01-03
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online through FIRE's application portal. Applications open October 19, 2026 and close Sunday, January 3, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET, and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged. The selection process has two virtual interview rounds, then an in-person finalist interview in Florida (February 25-27, 2027), with travel and lodging covered by FIRE. Offers are extended beginning March 5, 2027. Questions can be sent to internship@thefire.org.
https://thefire.applytojob.com/apply/mtw6NL6ItI/2027-Summer-Internship