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ArchCity Defenders (ACD) is a holistic legal advocacy organization that combats the criminalization of poverty and state violence, especially in communities of color. ACD’s foundation of civil and criminal legal representation, social services, impact litigation, policy and media advocacy, and community collaboration achieves and inspires justice and equitable outcomes for people throughout the St. Louis region and beyond.
ArchCity Defenders envisions a society liberated from systems of oppression where the promise of justice and racial equity is realized; communities where our approach to public safety prioritizes investment in well-being, health, and transformation without relying on criminalization and incarceration; and people living freely in their communities, thriving regardless of their race or income.
ArchCity Defenders is working on broad-based change to the St. Louis region’s criminal legal system. One way we advance this agenda is through the use of impact litigation. To effectively argue civil rights impact cases, it is necessary to have extensive knowledge of legal precedents, state and federal statutes, and county and municipal ordinances.
Although impact litigation has become one effective tool for change, ArchCity Defenders remains dedicated to representing our clients and changing the lives of our clients on an individual basis. To this end, we provide direct representation in housing, consumer, family, criminal, municipal, and other areas of the law.
ACD’s Partnerships & Organizing Team (formerly Community Collaborations) assists people directly impacted by systems of oppression to get civically engaged through political education and organizing and seeks an intern or practicum student with an enthusiastic desire to assist and serve others. A successful intern or practicum student needs to be assertive, independent, persistent, empathetic, proactive, and flexible. They will need to take initiative, use problem-solving skills, see projects through to completion, and become a strong advocate for themselves and others. Helpful skill sets would be prior organizing experience, graphic design, and/or administration skills.
Please note that this internship may require hours that include nights and/or weekends.
Responsibilities:
- Conduct one-on-one interviews with impacted people
- Assist in coordinating one-on-one meetings with elected officials
- Participate in or facilitate political education training
- Assist with planning and content and/or the facilitation of Movement meetings, Townhalls, or other group meetings
- Assisting with planning and content of Campaign/Movement Member Kickbacks
- Participate in, plan, and/or facilitate community canvassing
- Participate in, plan, and/or facilitate community outreach events
- Engage in phone and text banking
- Planning/Facilitation of prep meetings for those testifying at BOA committee meetings
- Attending Board of E&A and Board of Aldermen meetings, note-taking, and report-backs
- Attend strategy and organizing meetings as assigned
- Support the mission of ACD and work with staff to support that mission through social work services
- Any other duties as assigned to help the team do its best work
Qualifications:
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Basic administrative skills
- Detail-oriented approach to working in a team-driven organization
- High capacity for problem-solving and self-direction and the ability to work independently within time constraints
- Flexible and able to respond appropriately to ACD’s changing needs
- Commitment to racial and economic justice and systems change
- Cultural awareness and sensitivity toward diverse populations; awareness of structures of power, privilege, and oppression
Important Internship Information:
- We host unpaid internships. However, we may provide interns with a stipend of up to $4200 if they are not able to obtain funding from their school or other programs.
- We plan to host Summer 2027 interns and practicum students in person, and they are required to work at our office at 5939 Goodfellow in North St. Louis City. That plan is subject to change to remote work at any time due to public health requirements, work locations and expectations, and school-related policies and procedures.
- There is a mandatory, in-person orientation from June 1-June 4, 2027. (There may be start date exceptions for students still in school.)
- Summer 2027 interns and practicum students must be able to work for ACD from June 1-July 30. Interns may stay beyond July 30 but cannot end their internship before that date.
- Interns are expected to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday in person (or in court or the community with staff) and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays in person or remotely.
- Due to the potential for conflicts of interest (among other reasons), we are not able to accept interns or practicum students who seek to simultaneously engage in more than one internship while working with ACD.
- ArchCity Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, LGBTQIA+, and gender non-conforming applicants.
Cover Letter & Writing Sample Submission Instructions:
- Please submit your cover letter as a single PDF file that includes your cover letter followed by a writing sample.
- Your writing sample should illustrate your professional writing ability. While we're not looking for a specific “type” of sample or number of pages, it is ideal to submit a sample that is relevant to the role you are applying for. You may attach an existing piece of work or something newly drafted to the end of your cover letter.
