Grace Parker

CAC provided exactly what I was looking for in a 1L summer internship: substantive legal research on meaningful issues, significant writing experience, and great relationships. Working at CAC means holding courts accountable to the text and history of the Constitution, and even as an intern, I felt I had meaningful contributions to this accountability. The research we do as interns will shape the amicus briefs that CAC files in appellate courts and at the Supreme Court. Through this research, I learned about exceptions to notice-and-comment rulemaking, the history of state absentee ballot laws, funding conditions the executive branch can and cannot impose on government recipients, and the origin of the removal power. Each assignment was driven by a case currently in front of the courts.

Learning about CAC’s text-and-history method and its attorneys’ writing processes has made me a better legal researcher and writer, and I am excited to continue applying these lessons in my work going forward. CAC attorneys provided substantial feedback on these assignments, helping me understand where I personally can improve my writing. They were clearly willing to invest in our legal careers, even introducing me to several connections in my field.

Alex Moreno

I have had a wonderful time serving as a legal intern for the Constitutional Accountability Center this summer. Everyone from the first day was incredibly kind, and I am grateful to have felt that my colleagues were invested in my learning and experience at CAC, from brown bag lunch sessions to informal conversations and group activities.

The work has also been incredible. I was able to research First Amendment historical practice and administrative law matters during my time and benefited greatly from the feedback and advice I’ve received throughout the summer. Brianne and the litigation team were very supportive of enabling us to work on projects we found interesting, and the matters I was tasked with researching gave me an opportunity to learn more about the substantive law and how appellate litigation functions. I have also gotten more familiar with historical research and analysis during my time at CAC, a skill I look forward to applying to my post-law school work.

Walking away from CAC, I am even more supportive and appreciative of the work the group does. I’ve seen firsthand how principled, thorough, and passionate advocates can make valuable text-and-history arguments to continue promoting a progressive understanding of the Constitution. This work matters, now more than ever, and I feel incredibly lucky for my time at CAC.  As I begin my legal career, I hope to emulate those whom I worked with this summer.

Will Cover

Before lunch on my first day at CAC, I received a research assignment asking me to analyze a series of statutes to support CAC’s amicus brief in a case involving constitutional separation of powers—and a reminder not to hesitate to ask any questions I might have about that research or anything else. That I hit the ground running with such an interesting project heralded the culture at CAC: it is an office full of people who are invested in their work making progressive arguments and who are invested in each other. Everyone I was fortunate enough to work with made the extra effort to ensure this summer’s interns got incredibly substantive experiences, supported our work without us having to ask, and offered guidance tailored to helping us both this summer and for the rest of our careers as public interest lawyers.

In addition to the separation-of-powers case, I was able to work on projects covering the gamut of CAC’s advocacy. For instance, I proofed briefs for a variety of federal funding cases. I conducted original historical research on the development of the common law and Supreme Court jurisprudence for a Supreme Court amicus brief. And I contributed to the think tank’s research on the Reconstruction Amendments and African American political organizing during the nineteenth century.

The array of topics CAC exposed me to and the different legal skills each unique setting brought made me a better writer, thinker, and advocate. But what really made my time here special was all the warm, committed people that make up our office. I am grateful for the lifelong relationships that started here this summer, and I look forward to continuing to follow the incomparable work CAC does after my internship ends.