Careers & Internships
Come work at EPIC!
EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, DC. EPIC was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging privacy and civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, freedom of expression, and democratic values in the information age. EPIC pursues a wide range of program activities including policy research, public education, conferences, litigation, publications, and advocacy. EPIC routinely files amicus briefs in federal courts, pursues open government cases, defends consumer privacy, organizes conferences for NGOs, and speaks before Congress and judicial organizations about emerging privacy and civil liberties issues. EPIC works closely with a distinguished advisory board, with expertise in law, technology and public policy. EPIC maintains one of the most popular privacy web sites in the world—epic.org.
We welcome applications for jobs, fellowships, and clerkships. Please see the listings below for current openings and application deadlines.
EPIC is an equal opportunity employer. EPIC strongly encourages women, people of color, and underrepresented populations to apply for positions at EPIC.
Jobs
Fellowships
EPIC LAW FELLOWSHIP
EPIC invites outstanding applications for the 2025 EPIC Law Fellowship. EPIC encourages applications from law students graduating in 2025, recent graduates, and judicial clerks.
The EPIC Law Fellow will fill an integral role in EPIC’s Washington, DC office. The Fellow will work on various EPIC Projects in areas such as Administrative Law, Appellate Advocacy, Consumer Privacy, International Privacy, Open Government, Surveillance Oversight, and State Policy. Creative, highly motivated, and accomplished law school graduates are encouraged to apply.
The EPIC Law Fellowship is a one-year position to begin September 2025, with the possibility of renewal for a second year.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Undertake legal research.
- Draft complaints, petitions, briefs, and testimony.
- Pursue Freedom of Information Act requests and identify appellate amicus opportunities.
- Prepare posts for EPIC website and EPIC Alert.
- Participate in legal strategy sessions and coalition meetings.
- Provide support and assistance to EPIC staff and EPIC advisory board.
Compensation
The EPIC Law Fellow will receive an annual salary of $66,000. EPIC provides all employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
EPIC would also be pleased to serve as a host organization for recent law graduates that have obtained funding from their law schools. EPIC is happy to work with applicants to obtain funding from their respective law schools or foundations.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a single PDF that includes a cover letter, resume, unofficial law school transcript, writing sample, and references. The writing sample should be legal in nature (brief, memorandum, or research paper) and should be the applicant’s own work, not a collaborative piece or something heavily edited by someone else. Please send the complete document, not an excerpt.
Letters of recommendation are welcome and encouraged, not to exceed more than two. Applications to be submitted via email should be sent to [email protected] with the subject line “EPIC Law Fellowship.”
Please direct cover letters and letters of recommendations to Jeramie Scott, EPIC Senior Counsel. Although applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, we recommend applicants submit their materials by September 30, 2024 to ensure consideration.
Experience and Qualifications
- J.D. before September 2025.
- Exceptional academic background.
- Outstanding research, writing, and analytic skills.
- Passionate commitment to public interest law.
- Deep interest in EPIC’s subject areas.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team environment.
- Journal experience, such as law review, preferred but not required.
- Masters degree in computer science or related field preferred but not required.
- Judicial clerkship preferred but not required.
Other Fellowships
Each year, EPIC seeks qualified recent law graduates to apply for project-based fellowships. EPIC seeks to serve as a host organization for applicants for these fellowships, which are funded by outside organizations, including law schools (e.g., Georgetown Law’s Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program and Yale Law School’s Arthur Liman Public Interest Program), Equal Justice Works, the Skadden Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. These project-based fellowships are highly competitive and seek to fund new and innovative public interest law projects. These fellowships are a chance to gain high quality public interest legal experience.
Applicants should contact EPIC describing their interests. Applicants should be aware of the outside funder organization’s deadline, and that it takes time for EPIC to evaluate and work with a candidate to develop a quality proposal. The earlier candidates contact EPIC with their proposal, the stronger the proposal can be developed.
Please direct inquiries about project-based fellowships funded by outside organizations to [email protected]. Please address correspondence to Jeramie Scott, EPIC Senior Counsel.
Internships/Clerkships
Internet Public Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP) Clerkships
The EPIC Internet Public Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP) is an intensive legal internship held during the summer, fall, and spring terms. EPIC seeks outstanding law students interested in public interest issues related to privacy and the Internet to spend a summer or a semester at the EPIC office in Washington, DC.
Description: Learn about the legislative process, public interest litigation and advocacy, and emerging privacy issues.
The IPIOP Program gives law students the opportunity to actively participate in valuable programs in Internet law, policy, and legislation. In the summer, IPIOP clerks attend weekly seminars led by eminent scholars and practitioners in the field of Internet policy and are exposed to a variety of issue areas and assignments. In the fall and spring semester, IPIOP clerks work closely with specific program teams and dive deeper on specific issue areas. The goal of the program is to provide opportunities for clerks to experience first-hand the new and exciting intersection between Internet law, privacy, and public policy.
Washington, D.C. provides an ideal location for an introduction to Internet law and policy. IPIOP clerks may attend agency proceedings, policy meetings, Congressional hearings, and visit many landmarks in the Nation’s Capital.
Policy: IPIOP clerks research and draft memoranda on critical issues before Congress, state and local lawmakers, and agencies. Clerks learn about the legislative process which includes: making a case directly to lawmakers and agencies, engaging in discussion about the details of proposed legislation or rulemaking, and establishing connections with critical committees and decision makers.
Government Oversight: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a powerful tool for public interest organizations to learn about otherwise inscrutable governmental activities and to promote public oversight. IPIOP clerks research and draft memoranda on government activities, and may submit FOIA requests on a controversial issue to one of many governmental agencies. Clerks also assist in litigating pending FOIA matters.
Litigation: Clerks assist EPIC staff in developing litigation strategy in key cases with significant impact on critical Internet issues. Clerk activities in this area include researching and drafting memoranda, contributing to briefs, and meeting with attorneys.
Collaboration: IPIOP works in association with public interest litigators and advocates across the country. A distinguished Advisory Committee oversees the work of IPIOP.
Qualifications: Energy, enthusiasm, and creativity. Currently enrolled in law school (students enrolled in non-US schools are welcome to apply). Excellent writing and communication skills. Strong interest in civil liberties issues relating to the Internet, particularly free speech, privacy, open government, and democratic governance.
Application: Submit a letter of interest, resume, writing sample, law school transcripts, and three references in a combined PDF to [email protected]. Please use the email subject line “EPIC IPIOP Clerkship” and indicate semester or summer, e.g., “Spring 2025,” “Summer 2025.”
Application deadlines:
Spring Semester (typically for an internship from Jan through April or May): September 1 – November 15
Summer (typically for an internship from May through July or August): November 1 – February 22
Fall Semester (typically for an internship from Sept through Dec): April 15 – July 15
Applications will be evaluated as they are received. You are encouraged to apply early, as we will be accepting on a rolling basis.
Compensation: This is an unpaid clerkship. Law schools routinely fund IPIOP clerkships. Upon law school approval, IPIOP clerks may also receive course credit for their time spent with EPIC. EPIC is happy to work with applicants to obtain funding from their respective law schools.
IPIOP Experiences
Siri Nelson, Northeastern Law School (Fall 2017) “An EPIC Experience”
Ruchika Agrawal, Stanford (IPIOP Science Policy Fellow) “Profiles of Success.”
Mark Pike, William & Mary (Summer 2007) “An EPIC Summer”
Caitriona Fitzgerald, Northeastern Law School (Spring 2007) “On the Cutting Edge”
EPIC COMMUNICATIONS INTERNSHIP
EPIC is seeking a communications intern for the spring semester. This is a one semester position to begin in January of 2025.
Position Description: The EPIC Communications Intern will gain experience translating complex legal, policy, and technology concepts into everyday language. The intern will support both EPIC’s day-to-day communications and social media outputs, as well as the medium- to long-term rollout of major projects, events, and campaigns. As EPIC is currently working to increase its public presence, there will also be opportunities for the Communications Intern to provide suggestions and feedback, try out innovative ideas and strategies, and work on new publicity initiatives. Creative, highly motivated, and detail-oriented undergraduate or graduate students are encouraged to apply.
Duration and Compensation
- Time commitment: 15-20 hours per week between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday-Friday
- Duration: This is a spring semester internship that will start in January 2025 and end in May 2025 (with some flexibility).
- Location: Remote or in office in Washington, D.C. Hybrid is also an option.
- Compensation: This is an unpaid position. EPIC is happy to discuss course credit depending on individual circumstances (but class credit is not required) and will work with your school if it offers internship funding.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Brainstorm and draft 2-3 short form social media posts per week.
- Monitor and compile EPIC’s news hits.
- Draft and circulate EPIC’s monthly newsletter, the “EPIC Alert.”
- Track and analyze EPIC’s web stats and social media metrics on a monthly basis (no special web analytics skills required).
- Update the Events section of EPIC’s website.
- Contribute to the development and execution of communications plans for major projects and events (~3-6 / semester). This includes drafting: graphics, direct outreach emails to journalists, press releases, social media posts, emails to partners and EPIC board members, etc.
- Strategize and assist in growing EPIC’s newsletter list, membership, and social media following. EPIC welcomes creative thinkers who want to work closely with staff to develop new ways to implement the organization’s communications goals.
- Design, plan, and (time permitting) execute a communications project of the Intern’s choosing. This internship is an experiential learning opportunity, and the Intern will have the chance to develop their own project that focuses on creating communications materials and strategies for one of EPIC’s projects. For example: creating visual guides and a social media campaign to increase public awareness of tools and strategies to protect one’s health and reproductive privacy.
Qualifications
- Undergraduate or graduate student studying communications, journalism, public policy, political science, law, technology, international studies, nonprofit management, or other related fields.
- Interest in or experience with nonprofit communications.
- Strong writing and communication skills, including an ability to translate complicated legal concepts into everyday language.
- Ability to be flexible and to work collaboratively as part of a team as well as the ability to take initiative and be creative on self-guided tasks.
- Familiarity with Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Facebook.
- Experience in social media management and content creation is a plus, including writing and editing copy and creating visual assets.
- Experience with WordPress and Canva is a plus.
Application: Applicants should send a single PDF that includes a cover letter, resume, undergraduate or graduate school transcript (unofficial is fine), sample of work, and references to Enid Zhou ([email protected]). The sample of work can be a social media campaign, a communications plan/strategy, a press release, a blog post, an essay, or other similar piece of writing. Please use the subject line “EPIC Communications Intern – Spring 2025.” EPIC is accepting applications now on a rolling basis until Dec. 6, 2024.