2027 BONNEY SUMMER LEGAL FELLOWSHIPS
June 7- August 13, 2027
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Bonney Summer Legal Fellowships are 10-week paid summer internships in the Legal Department of the ACLU of Kansas—the civil rights litigation arm of this integrated advocacy organization. Our department uses litigation as a tool to vindicate constitutional rights, critique unacceptable government practices, and support the policy and advocacy efforts of grassroots organizers. Our efforts are focused on serving and defending reproductive rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, First Amendment rights, immigrants’ rights, voting rights, criminal justice reform, and privacy rights. In 2027, 80% of our efforts and resources will be dedicated to protecting voting rights and immigrants’ rights.
The ACLU of Kansas will hire two Bonney Summer Legal Fellows for 2027. The Fellows will be a critical part of our team, assisting our attorneys with every aspect of their work, including investigating potential cases, preparing pleadings and motions, drafting research memoranda, assisting with discovery, and participating in court proceedings and client consultations. This position is designed specifically for law students who want practical, hands-on training in the practice of civil rights litigation. The Bonney Summer Legal Fellows will work out of our offices in Overland Park, Kansas—a suburb of the Kansas City metro area. Our office observes a hybrid schedule.
QUALIFICATIONS/APPLICATION PROCEDURE
The Bonney Summer Legal Fellowship is open to outstanding 2L students, for the summer after their 2L year, committed to pursuing a career in public interest litigation and enthusiastic about working with a small, dynamic team of attorneys passionate about their work. We expect our fellows to match our strong work ethic and to respond with openness and courage in the face of new challenges, while cultivating an office culture that embraces individuality and informality. Please submit a detailed letter of interest, a current resume, and a legal writing sample of no longer than 10 pages, double spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font. Email your application to:
Vanessa Phipps
vanessa@futureforcegroup.com
Please include “Bonney Summer Legal Fellow” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed beginning the week of September 28, 2026, and will be accepted until the positions are filled. No calls or in-person applications, please.
COMPENSATION
Fellows are paid a $5,000 stipend for the ten-week internship.
ABOUT THE ACLU OF KANSAS
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas is a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The ACLU of Kansas works in the state legislature, the courts, and local communities to protect the rights of all people living in Kansas. The organization’s work includes efforts to strengthen and defend First Amendment rights, voting rights, reproductive rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrants’ rights, stopping government surveillance, and reforming the criminal justice system. The ACLU of Kansas often works in broad-based coalitions made up of individuals and organizations from across the political, partisan, and ideological spectrum. The ACLU of Kansas is an affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union, has an annual budget of approximately $2 million, and has more than 30,000 supporters across the state. The headquarters of the ACLU of Kansas is in Overland Park, Kansas, with a field office located in Wichita, Kansas.
The ACLU of Kansas comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the ACLU Foundation of Kansas. Both entities have the same overall mission and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. The ACLU Foundation of Kansas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that primarily engages in litigation and public education. The ACLU of Kansas is a 501(c)(4) non-profit corporation that primarily engages in lobbying and advocacy.
The ACLU of Kansas is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Kansas encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status. The ACLU of Kansas strongly encourages formerly incarcerated individuals to apply. The ACLU of Kansas undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions.
