KIP Summer 2026 - Strategic Research Intern - Pacific Legal Foundation

The Koch Internship Program (KIP) is a paid, 12-week experiential learning program run by Stand Together Fellowships that offers meaningful work experience at non-profits all over the United States tackling some of our nation's most pressing challenges. Eligible candidates will be geographically located within the U.S. and authorized to work in the U.S. through the duration of the program.

Throughout your internship, you will gain meaningful professional experience at a partner organization and participate in professional development built around a 2-day, in-person summit hosted by Stand Together Fellowships at Stand Together's Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, supported by virtual programming that takes place every other Thursday between 1- 4:00 pm ET. Interns will receive either a $7,500 or $5,500 stipend from Stand Together Fellowships depending on whether they are working full-time (32 hours/week) or part-time (24 hours/week) with the partner organization.

The programming provided by Stand Together Fellowships focuses on three objectives:

1. understanding the foundational principles of a free society such as individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and the rule of law;
2. learning the Stand Together community's vision for change and how a principled approach to problem solving can help address society's biggest challenges; and
3. presenting opportunities and pathways to build a career that advances liberty and free society.

Successful candidates will interview with both our non-profit partner organizations and Stand Together Fellowships staff, so we strongly encourage you to apply in advance!

Please note that all Koch Internship Program interns MUST be available every Thursday from 1-4:00 PM ET for virtual professional development training AND the in-person summit at Stand Together's Headquarters in Arlington, VA June 3-4.

You: An inquisitive, creative, and self-motivated college junior, senior, grad student, or recent graduate who knows the principles of liberty and seeks to advance them. You have strong written and oral communication skills and enjoy problem solving.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the US Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 20 cases heard by the Court. PLF also has nearly 200 active cases across the nation. At PLF, we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.

The Strategic Research intern will be a member of the Strategic Research team. This team produces high-quality social science research to support PLF’s mission-driven goals. The team coordinates with PLF’s Litigation, Legal Policy, Constitutional Scholarship, and Communications teams. This internship is an opportunity for a wide variety of experiences, including the following:

· Communicating with public officials to obtain public records.
· Collecting, organizing, and analyzing data using Microsoft Excel, R, Python, GIS, or Stata.
· Conducting literature reviews on such topics as regulatory reform, housing supply, property rights, coastal land rights, and more.
· Developing internal data for litigation, communications, or legal policy campaigns.
· Writing blog posts, op-eds, or one-pagers on topics relevant to PLF’s work.

General Information
PLF identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, PLF battles for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California; Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff work from home offices across the country. Interns work remotely by default, but they can request to work physically in any of PLF’s offices. This is a part-time role.

If you think you might be a good fit, submit the following application materials:

· A résumé that includes relevant experience in the liberty movement and professional skills.
· A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
· A writing sample.
· A semester schedule (if taking classes during the internship period).

Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences, perspectives, knowledge and ideas fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participants and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of color, race, religion, religious creed, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, ancestry, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), military and veteran status, genetic information, marital or familial status, political affiliation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.