KIP Spring 2025 - Legislative Intern - The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)

The Koch Internship Program (KIP) is a paid, 10-week experiential learning program run by Stand Together Fellowships that offers meaningful work experience at non-profits all over the country tackling some of our nation’s most pressing challenges. Throughout your internship with a partner organization, Stand Together Fellowships hosts virtual professional development sessions every Thursday from 1-5 pm ET, wherein you will be mentored by seasoned professionals as you craft a capstone project on the topic that matters most to you.  Interns will receive either a $5,500 or $3,300 stipend from Stand Together Fellowships depending on whether they are participating full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time (28 hours/week).

Successful candidates will interview with both our non-profit partner organizations and Stand Together Fellowships staff, so we strongly encourage you to apply in advance!

About FIRE

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought. Please visit www.thefire.org to gain a sense of our work and mission.

Position Description

FIRE is looking for passionate, team-oriented, and driven undergraduates (rising juniors and seniors) or graduate students attending colleges and universities in the United States. FIRE offers a fast-paced and exciting work environment. Working at the headquarters of a national nonprofit, the student will be immersed in the general functions of running the office while learning about civil liberties from professional free speech advocates.

The Legislative and Policy Department develops and advances FIRE’s positions on public policy issues related to free speech. We directly lobby legislators and regulatory agencies on issues that affect free speech, offer consultations to policymakers to help them draft and pass speech-protective legislation, talk to press about legislation and government regulations that affect free speech, and write bill analyses, public statements, and other public-facing pieces related to FIRE’s legislative agenda.

FIRE is seeking an undergraduate or graduate Legislative Intern to aid its Legislative and Policy Department.

Responsibilities

The Legislative Intern’s responsibilities may include:

Maintaining a database of legislative contact information.

Participating in the process for reviewing outgoing writing pieces.

Assisting with legislative research projects, as needed.

Assisting with FIRE’s tracking and reporting of lobbying activity.

Other clerical duties for the Legislative and Policy department, as needed.

General intern duties such as answering phones, managing the general FIRE inbox, assisting with inventory management, and office management.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have:

Demonstrated interest in civil liberties and public policy work.

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

An understanding of and enthusiasm for FIRE’s mission.

The ability to work independently.

Students will be evaluated at regular intervals. Highly successful candidates may be invited back for future intern experiences or may be offered a part-time position, however, further employment is not guaranteed.

This internship will be based in Philadelphia, PA or Washington, DC and begin in the Spring of 2025.

Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences, perspectives, knowledge and ideas fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participants and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of color, race, religion, religious creed, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), military and veteran status, genetic information, marital or familial status, political affiliation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.