Overview
FIRE’s 10-week, paid Summer Internship Program gives undergraduate students a hands-on opportunity to defend civil liberties and advance free speech.
FIRE interns do meaningful work alongside our staff, receive mentorship, participate in weekly seminars with leading experts on freedom of expression, and help execute some of FIRE’s most important student programs of the year.
Interns work full-time at FIRE’s Philadelphia office. The 2027 program will run from Tuesday, June 1 through Friday, August 6, 2027. Interns receive a $6,400 stipend and will receive additional compensation for their work as counselors during FIRE’s Free Speech Forum.
The program is highly competitive. FIRE typically selects just 8–12 interns from a pool of hundreds of applicants each year. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and students are encouraged to apply early.
Applications open October 19, 2026 and close Sunday, January 3, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Qualifications and Responsibilities
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.
All interns are expected to demonstrate excellent research, writing, and communication skills. Strong candidates are responsible, organized, eager to take initiative, and are willing to engage with ideas and viewpoints they may agree with. The ability to work under pressure and a sense of humor are also important.
Because interns spend the summer working together closely as a cohort, we also look for candidates who are collaborative, open to feedback, and excited to contribute to a team.
FIRE interns:
Work closely with our student development, defense, policy reform, legislation, development, and media teams to assist with research and administrative projects.
Assist with the planning and execution of the FIRE Student Network Summer Conference , taking place in July 2027 in Philadelphia, and lead educational and interactive sessions for conference attendees.
Serve as a residential counselor during the Free Speech Forum, providing supervision, mentorship, and facilitation of educational activities centered on free speech.
Have the opportunity to contribute to FIRE’s Newsdesk .
Learn the foundational arguments for protecting core rights in our free society through reading and discussion in weekly seminars with FIRE’s staff and other experts on civil liberties.
Written responses are evaluated not only on answers given, but also on clarity, style, and quality. We encourage applicants to thoughtfully prepare their responses to the questions.
Applications open Monday, October 19, 2026, and close Sunday, January 3, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The selection process consists of two virtual interview rounds followed by an in-person finalist interview in Florida. Finalists will interview with FIRE staff and participate in FIRE’s Student Development Conference. FIRE covers travel and lodging for candidates invited to the final interview.
2027 Selection Timeline
October 19, 2026: Applications open
January 3, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET: Applications close
By January 20, 2027: Finalists invited to the in-person interview round
February 25–27, 2027: Final interviews and Student Development Conference in Florida
Beginning March 5, 2027: Offers extended
Questions about FIRE’s Summer Internship Program can be sent to internship@thefire.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does an average day in the life of a FIRE intern look like?
Interns typically start the day by catching up on and discussing recent news. Throughout the day, interns collaborate with various FIRE staffers in helping to support FIRE’s response to breaking news and our ongoing defense of free speech. Interns work both individually and in teams, and are involved in a variety of functions. This includes everything from development and conference planning to…