Position Summary:
NRDC is seeking a legal intern to work with the Nature Program’s Dirty Energy Team in our Washington, DC office. This legal internship will support the Nature Program’s legal and advocacy work pertaining to federal fossil fuel regulation and policy and public lands defense. This work includes protecting public lands, wild places, and communities from the impacts of fossil fuel development utilizing advocacy, administrative processes, and litigation. Please note that this internship will include a variety of responsibilities, such as legal research, data analysis, and legislative and policy analysis.
Responsibilities
The legal intern selected for this position will perform legal research and writing to support litigation and policy advocacy, in collaboration with and under the supervision of a NRDC lawyer. The Dirty Energy Team works on a range of issues pertaining to fossil fuel transportation and development, climate change, and public lands and endangered species defense. Once the internship is complete, the legal intern will have a working understanding of the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Endangered Species Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Specific assignments depend on immediate priorities and needs and can include:
- Research on legal, factual, legislative, and policy issues relevant to the Nature Program’s Dirty Energy Team advocacy; and
- Legal research and drafting of memoranda on topics researched for use in existing or prospective litigation.
Qualifications
You should be in your second or third year of a J.D. program, or in an advanced legal degree (such as an L.L.M.) program. You should have a strong academic record; well-developed writing, research, and interpersonal skills; and a demonstrated interest in and commitment to public service work or environmental and public health issues.