2026 Policy and Research Summer Internship

Intern at DC’s Top Tech Policy Think Tank this Summer!

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is now accepting applications for internships for the summer of 2026. We welcome applications from students currently enrolled in law, graduate and PhD programs with an interest in the internet and technology policy, human rights, civil rights, and civil liberties. The summer internship program is a 10-week opportunity for students to apply the principles they have learned in the classroom in real policy environments.

Summer interns work closely with CDT policy experts, researchers, technologists and attorneys on an array of civil rights, civil liberties and international human rights issues related to technology and the internet, including AI governance, competition, consumer privacy, online expression, digital surveillance, equity in technology, and elections & democracy. When appropriate, summer interns are also able to join meetings with outside stakeholders.

This listing describes the application process for our Legal, Policy, Research, or Technologist Internships (working closely with at least one of several CDT teams, including AI Governance Lab, Elections & Democracy, Civic Technology, Free Expression, Privacy & Data, Security & Surveillance, State Policy Engagement and Research).

Depending on an applicant’s skills, expertise, and background, the tasks and projects performed over the course of the internship could include qualitative and quantitative research, legal research and analysis, and research and writing about technical and policy issues. In general, interns in PhD programs are placed in policy or research-focused roles, law students are placed in legal or policy-focused roles, technologists are placed in technical and policy roles, and policy students are placed on policy teams.

Successful candidates typically have:

• Experience in the use of legal and/or academic research tools.

• Excellent writing skills for communicating with technical, policy, and lay audiences.

• Ability to work independently when assigned projects.

• Genuine curiosity and motivation to work at the intersection of technology, policy, civil rights, and civil liberties, with an imaginative approach to their work.

• An understanding of technology, policy, and law and also how those may have a disparate impact on individuals and communities based on race, gender, disability, income, immigration status, or other circumstances or characteristics.

• JD, MA or MPP, and PhD candidates only.

Please apply below by submitting a current resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in interning at CDT and answering one of the following prompts. If you have any questions, please contact internapps@cdt.org.

Writing prompts

Legal, Policy, Research, or Technologist Internships:

Choose one of the following prompts and answer it in your cover letter.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning on November 1st, 2025. Applications for this role will close on February 1, 2026. In general, it takes 4-12 weeks to review applications after they are submitted and offers for internships are typically sent between March-May. Interviews will begin in January 2026.

All internships are slated to begin right after Memorial Day and run for about 10 weeks. Interns who are not receiving funding from another source such as a school stipend or fellowship will receive a stipend of $7,500 over the course of the 10-week program.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.