The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Using the power of law, narrative, research, and people, we defend and advance the full dignity and citizenship of Black people in America. The Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multidisciplinary center within LDF that complements the organization’s traditional litigation, strengthening it through innovative research and publications, targeted advocacy, and public education campaigns.
Housed within the Thurgood Marshall Institute, the Archives and Records Department serves three major functions: building and managing an archival repository of LDF’s historic records, providing library services including research support, and coordinating the process by which records become part of the LDF Archives. LDF is undertaking a major effort to organize, preserve, and digitize a substantial portion of our 8,000 boxes of rich historical case files and institutional records.
LDF Archives Internship:
LDF is seeking a current or recent graduate student in Library and Information Studies for a Summer 2026 Archives Internship. Working closely with LDF archivists, the Archives Intern will work on a variety of projects including but not limited to research and review of oral history interviews for the LDF Oral History Project, responding to staff and internal research requests, and surveying, arranging, and describing physical and digital records related to the ongoing fight for racial justice. This is a paid internship, at a rate of $20/hr, for a minimum of 120 hours over one semester. This internship will be a great fit for a collaborative and detail-oriented student interested in legal history and archival program development at a dynamic nonprofit organization. In order to be considered for this role, please submit a cover letter and resume.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, February 23, 2026.
Work schedule: Interns are required to be onsite at LDF NYC Office on Tuesdays or Thursdays
Qualifications:
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.
