Foundation for Individual Rights in Education General Intern Interview Questions
& Process

The first interview was really easy and felt more like a conversation, which is a huge plus. The second one, while repetitive in questions, is more intense and in-person. Be ready to get grilled, especially by Molly

It was a few interviews. The final one had a test section where they gave me some case studies and asked how I'd rule on them based on my First Amendment case law knowledge. I got all five right and they were impressed, but I heard you only really need like 2-3 correct. They especially like it when you explain your thought process! Something they don't explicitly state is that they prefer candidates from campuses with weak free speech standards (which FIRE wants to help improve). This makes sense because the role is fundamentally about advocacy, and they want interns who can take their learnings back to their campuses and make them better. Just be aware that if you're from a campus with strong speech policies, you might be a less appealing candidate. I made it through all the stages and, based on what they said, I was an alternate who just missed out. I have a 4.0 GPA and a year of policy internship experience, so it was unexpected, but I get why they value that. Just FYI!

The interview process started with a phone interview, followed by a second round where I was flown to their Philadelphia office. The first round asked pretty basic questions like why you want to work at FIRE and what experience you have that aligns with their mission. The second round involved hypothetical cases, where I had to decide if FIRE should take on the case and if they could win for the plaintiff. It's okay if you don't get all the answers right, but you need to explain your reasoning and be open to learning if you're wrong. They also take you out to lunch, which is still part of the interview. If you do well on the questions but lack personality or are rude during lunch, you won't get the offer. They use this lunch to see if you're someone they'd want to be stuck with.