Legal Intern

An internship in Constitutional Studies enables one to gain real-world experience in legal research, composing briefs and articles, and analogous skills. (Specific projects vary widely.) Interns serve as assistants to one of America’s leading originalist constitutional scholars: a former law professor and historian whose amicus briefs and research articles have been cited frequently by justices and parties in the U.S. Supreme Court and in many other courts. Interns must have successfully completed a basic law school legal research course.

Also, helpful, although not required, are research skills in such subjects as history, literature, technology, or economics. The Second Amendment Project studies the legal precedents, news and opinions in Colorado and the United States to provide the Constitutional perspective on topics ranging from legal reform to gun rights. An internship with the Second Amendment Project provides an opportunity for undergraduate, graduate, or law students to gain real-world experience in a public policy environment.

While specific intern projects are dependent on the needs of the project at the time, an intern most often acts as a research assistant. Projects can vary widely within the Second Amendment policy space, and an intern should be prepared for diverse assignments of varying levels of complexity. Staff may also give interns opportunities to participate in research or other activities outside of the office.

Legal interns at II work directly with one of America’s top constitutional scholars, David Kopel. Professor Kopel teaches advanced constitutional law at the University of Denver and is the nation’s premier expert on the Second Amendment. Professor Kopel has written extensively on a wide range of constitutional, historical, and philosophical topics.

He served on the oral argument team in District of Columbia v. Heller, and his scholarship and briefs have been cited dozens