Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S. Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational, advocacy, and electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.
PPFA’s Public Policy Litigation and Law Department (“Lit and Law”) represents PPFA and Planned Parenthood affiliates in matters that affect the Planned Parenthood mission. Lit and Law provides legal advice to, and, when appropriate, conducts litigation in state and federal courts across the country on behalf of, PPFA and Planned Parenthood affiliates in order to protect and expand access to sexual and reproductive health care.
Lit and Law seeks 2L, 3L, and LLM law student externs for its New York and Washington, D.C. offices or to work remotely for the spring semester of 2025. The externship is a part-time or full-time position throughout the academic semester.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter explaining their relevant experience and interest in externing for PPFA, a resume, and a writing sample. The cover letter should also indicate whether the applicant is seeking a full-time or part-time externship, and if part-time, the number of hours per week the applicant will be available. The application deadline is October 18, 2024.
Applicants must be eligible for academic credit or external funding for the externship. PPFA is not able to provide funding at this time.
Purpose:
PPFA conducts constitutional impact litigation in state and federal courts across the country. PPFA also provides strategic legal advice on legislation in Congress and state legislatures and on regulatory issues at the national, state, and local levels.
Delivery:
PPFA’s Public Policy Litigation and Law Department engages in litigation and proactive and defensive state policy work. Our litigation docket includes challenges, primarily in state court, to laws and policies that restrict Planned Parenthood patients’ access to abortion, contraception, and other comprehensive reproductive health services. The cases we bring are designed to protect patients’ constitutional and statutory rights and expand their access to reproductive health services, and to protect providers of those services from discrimination.
The State Policy team provides strategic legal advice to Planned Parenthood affiliates about their proactive and defensive legislative and administrative goals and provides analysis and support on state legislation related to sexual and reproductive healthcare, including but not limited to access to abortion and contraception, sexual and reproductive health education, gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, and Medicaid coverage. We assist affiliates in their efforts to defeat or repeal laws and policies that restrict Planned Parenthood patients’ access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and in their efforts to enact laws and policies that expand access to such services. Our team also provides analysis and legal advice on regulatory issues at the state and local levels.
Engagement:
Externs work closely with PPFA attorneys on a wide variety of litigation- and policy-related responsibilities, including legal research and analysis; drafting memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, briefs, talking points, and informational backgrounders; factual development for ongoing or developing litigation; and communicating with clients.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):
Excellent research and writing skills, enthusiasm for working with litigation and policy attorneys, a demonstrated commitment to social justice, and a strong interest in reproductive rights and justice, health law, racial and economic justice, and/or public interest law more generally.
Travel: N/A