INTERNSHIP PRIMER

For more than 30 years, the Citizen Advocacy Center hosts students in a hands-on internship program where high school, college, and law students work under the supervision of a community lawyer. An internship with the Citizen Advocacy Center  is an ideal place for any student interested in learning how government really works and how community members can make a measurable impact in the communities they live, and is especially valuable for students pursuing political science, sociology, pre-law, public administration, and journalism. For law students, an internship with the Citizen Advocacy Center builds traditional legal skills in research, writing, and analysis, as well as a linty of "law plus" skills that are not taught in law school classes. All interns gain a wide-array of experiences that generally include:

• Learning how local government entities operate and how to make government more accountable to the citizens they serve

• Learning how to interview and work with community members who have an issue of public concern

• Learning how to deconstruct a local issue of public concern to identify solutions

• Figuring out what civic and legal tools can be applied to an issue of public concern to either maximally impact government decision-making or the ability of concerned community members to have an impact

• Auditing government practices and developing best practices

• Facilitating community forums on current issues of public concern

• Creating public educational resources

• Researching various public policy issues related to legal and civic issues promoting, or deterring, civic engagement

• Monitoring local governments

In the summer of 2026 the Citizen Advocacy Center hosted the following students from the following educational institutions:
● Brandon Belle, Public Interest Law Initiative Fellowship Intern, Northern Illinois University, College of Law

● Noah Brunner, Equal Justice America Fellowship Law Intern, University of Wisconsin, College of Law

● Anisha Joshi, College Student Intern, Harvard College

● Lucas Marra, Law School Intern, University of Minnesota, College of Law

● Joe O’Brien, Law School Intern, University of Illinois, College of Law

● Ethan Wong, High School Intern, York High School, Elmhurst, Illinois

At the end of the summer internship, CAC convenes an annual “Democracy Night” where all interns give presentations to the general public about their internship experiences, the issues they worked on, and then field questions. We are pleased to be able to share their presentations with you. For information about how to apply for a CAC internship or volunteer opportunity during the school year or summer, please email cac@citizenadvocacycenter.org.