Summer 2026 - Intern, Advocacy & Partnerships

About the team:

Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships department is responsible for coordinating the vision, strategy, and staff development across Vera’s initiatives to pass legislation, change policy, and create change at scale. We work to ensure that the goals of our advocacy campaigns align with the people and communities most impacted by criminal justice and immigration policies, and we collaborate with movement and advocacy partners to produce the right knowledge and ideas needed to change policies and legislation at the right time.  

Vera’s advocacy department serves the following core functions:  

• Providing state and local government and movement strategy guidance to Vera’s national and place-based initiatives, with a focus on lobbying, campaigns, and coalition work; Vera Insights, a rapid response data and evidence team responsible for developing and producing data and knowledge to key partners and audiences;  
• Federal Policy expertise to lead Vera's advocacy strategies in DC; and 
• Vera Action, an independent (c)(4) entity.  

The learning goals of this internship include gaining insight into the issues affecting incarcerated individuals across the country, research learn and provide resources to incarcerated individuals and will learn about the various areas of the criminal legal and immigration reform that Vera’s Advocacy Department works on to gain insight that will help the intern in choosing a career path in the field.  

About the role:

1. Coordinate the backlog of communications from incarcerated individuals: 

• Researching and producing a landscape and literature review about Housing First policies and other efforts to expand safe, affordable housing for people with criminal just involvement 
• Supporting Vera Action’s preparation for the 2026 midterms election cycle. 

2. Assist with desk research and drafting written memos:

• Conduct online, media, literature, and news reviews.  
• Draft research synopsis memos  
• Supporting Vera Action’s preparation for the 2026 midterms election cycle. 

3. Help create and maintain internal information systems:    

• Assist with maintaining the issue matrix to make sure all of the information is up-to-date and has all relevant materials. 
• Create a database/list of all the state legislatures Vera works with, as well as some basic information on their voting history. 

4. Other duties as assigned by Manager, but not limited to 

• Providing support for department meetings and special events, to include but not limited to scheduling, meeting set up, creating agendas, ordering needed materials, etc. 

What qualifications are we looking for?

• Interest and experience in program management or equivalent work experience 
• Experience conducting a wide range of research to support department needs  
• A demonstrated interest in the criminal legal and immigration systems by recognizing racial equity and social justice 
• Experience building and refining document organization systems 
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills 

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring: 

• Knowledge of project management software and models (i.e. Smartsheet, Asana) 
• We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace—specifically, we value diverse experiences regarding educational background and justice system contact. 

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

• Microsoft Office Suite or similar software 
• Slack 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $17.00 - $25.00. Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. 

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Summer 2026 - Intern, Advocacy & Partnerships
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status. 

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission. 

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.