Democracy Protection Intern - Spring 2026 The Democracy Protection intern will gain valuable experience in legislation tracking, policy research, coalition-building, and advocacy initiatives. Interns will have opportunities to support various Democracy Protection projects including our Democracy Watch tracker and support our national and state advocacy campaigns including the Defending Dissent initiative. How will you make a difference in the Human Rights space through this internship? The intern will have the opportunity to receive a behind-the-scenes look at how an advocacy organization and a research team engage in this work. They will work with a dynamic team to engage in democracy protection efforts, including tracking and mitigating legislative threats, tracking and mitigating first amendment rights abuses, and experience in advocacy strategies with multiple programs. Essential Duties and Responsibilities - Regularly review and analyze U.S. government materials, NGO reports, and media coverage to track relevant legislative and policy developments.
- Provide administrative support including scheduling meetings, organizing Hill briefings, planning travel, and tracking expenses.
- Produce Democracy Protection advocacy materials, including reports, website content, blogs, Op-Eds, draft communications, social media posts, and written correspondence.
- Track development, approval, and production of written materials to ensure completion in a timely fashion; proofread and edit materials, as requested
- Track relevant legislation, media, floor debates, and public events, and monitor hearings
Desired Skills and Experience - Strong research, data analysis, writing and proofreading skills, and attention to detail
- Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
- Knowledge of the operations and structure of the federal government, and knowledge of state government structure a bonus
- Strong project management skills, capacity to take initiative, to finish assignments under pressure, and to work collegially with others
- Capacity to take on multiple tasks simultaneously, meet deadlines on assignments and function as an effective member of a team
- Demonstrated interest in human rights and dedication to Human Rights First’s mission, experience with democracy policy a bonus
- Proficiency with Microsoft and Google suite of systems
Education: Undergraduate degree in progress.
Compensation: Unpaid Start Date: January 20, 2026
End Date: April 24, 2026 Time Commitment: 15-20 hours/week Submission Deadline: November 21, 2025
Application Instructions: Resume and cover letter.
Human Rights First is committed to recruiting, retaining, and developing staff from a diversity of backgrounds, including members of racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, people of all nationalities, and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. We believe that a diverse staff and an inclusive work environment that welcomes a range of perspectives make us stronger and more effective.
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