Holley Law Fellowship, Summer 2026

Position Description:

Task Force Holley Policy Law Fellowships and externships are available full-time each summer in our Washington, DC Office (currently hybrid schedule). Holley Policy Law Fellows work in our Advocacy and Action Department on local, state, and federal policy advocacy. Through our series of programming and other events, Holley Policy Law Fellows will have the opportunity to meet and work with a diverse network of LGBTQ and allied legislative/policy experts and attorneys working on a variety of progressive issues.

Projects fellows have worked on in the past few years include:

1. Researching and writing legal memos for internal use on how Kimberle Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality is currently mechanized in the law, and how that applies to LGBTQ people of color.
2. Writing public comments on regulations that govern drug testing for employment, the “blood ban,” SNAP benefits, and discrimination against transgender people and women in healthcare, for submission to federal agencies.
3. Proposing innovative ways to provide education to our members on the issues they care about most – like sex ed, conditions of parole and probation, and source of income protections in housing.
4. Collaborating with partner organizations on amicus briefs to be filed at the Supreme Court on issues like LGBTQ discrimination protections and access to abortion.
5. Collaborating with the Policy Director, Government Associate, and State Policy Analyst on legislative priorities, lunch and learns, policy power hour, and more.

Holley Policy Law Fellows are required to work with a team of policy experts and attorneys to ensure that their projects are best aligned with their interests and serve the needs of our organization and the marginalized communities we serve.

Priority Issues/States List:

The Task Force advocates for legislative and policy changes primarily in the following issue areas: democracy, faith & religious exemptions, health care including reproductive and disability issues, nondiscrimination protections, LGBTQ data collection, anti-poverty, and criminal justice (including immigration enforcement issues). All our work includes an analysis of the issues through racial, gender, and economic justice lenses.

The following states are priorities for the organization (subject to change based on circumstances):

• Texas
• North Carolina
• Florida

Philosophy

The Holley Law Fellowship program is a hands-on program in which Holley Law Fellows are given a diverse range of assignments that reflect the work of policy advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community. The Task Force believes that the only way to build a movement of effective policy advocates is to provide practical experience in the day-to-day life of national level LGBT policy lawyers, with guidance and supervision from our experienced attorneys. As such, Holley Law Fellows frequently follow a project from start to finish, as they draft research and advocacy memoranda, attend meetings with coalition allies to strategize around effective policy change, and attend high-level meetings with policymakers to advocate for policy change.

Qualifications

Applicants should possess excellent interpersonal, legal research, and writing skills, and a strong interest in LGBT policy and/or nonprofit lawyering. 2Ls, 3Ls, and LL.M. candidates are eligible. Competition for program positions is high. For Summer positions, applicants must agree to work full-time starting June 1, 2026 - July 31, 2026.

Compensation/Credit

Academic credit is available depending upon the policies of the student's law school. Summer Holley Law Fellows are paid $20 an hour along with extra perks and benefits.

To Apply

Submit a cover letter detailing why you are interested in our law fellowship program, resume, writing sample of approximately three (3) pages (your own unedited words) and copy of undergraduate and law school transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). Applications are accepted until Monday, May 4, 2026.