2L Legal Intern

Overview

Put your passion and skills to work for the planet. Climate change is the most urgent issue of our time, and we need people like you to help us build a vital Earth — for everyone.

We’re Environmental Defense Fund, a fast-paced nonprofit with a growing staff of more than 1,000 people in nearly 30 countries. We deliver game-changing solutions that cut climate pollution and strengthen people’s ability to thrive despite the effects climate change is already having. We work wherever we can have the most impact, from local communities to top companies to governments worldwide, and even in space.

Our culture, values and commitment to diversity make EDF an exciting and meaningful place to work. Every job here makes a difference. Won’t you join us?

Responsibilities

Program/Department Overview

The U.S. Legal & Regulatory team envisions a world in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected to the environmental challenges we face and are engaged in creating durable, equitable solutions. We are dedicated to achieving that vision in our work, helping achieve clean air and a stable climate for all. The U.S. Legal & Regulatory team works out of the Washington, D.C., Boulder, CO offices and remotely.

Legal interns on the U.S. Legal & Regulatory team contribute meaningfully to the team’s work securing clean air and climate protections. We aim to make our interns’ experience relevant, challenging, and rewarding. Our interns have directly contributed towards landmark cases over the years and have supported activities including U.S. Supreme Court litigation, D.C. Circuit litigation over greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act, major international agreements and guidelines regarding trans-boundary pollution control programs in the U.S./Mexico border region, and projects that work towards ensuring protections for low-income and vulnerable communities from air pollution. Interns may also contribute to energy regulatory advocacy seeking to prevent wasteful expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure and to facilitate the clean energy transition.

Overall Function

2L legal interns will work on projects such as researching and writing legal and policy documents for federal court litigation, administrative litigation, national and state regulatory proceedings including before state public utility commissions, and various policy venues.

Key Responsibilities

Tasks will include but are not limited to:

• Conduct legal and factual research on climate and clean air issues.
• Contribute to litigation filings and administrative comments advocating for public health and environmental protections.
• Assess the impacts of recent court decisions on EDF priorities.
• Evaluate the health and environmental implications of pending legislation.
• Draft public-facing documents such as fact sheets and blog posts about legal issues.
• Represent EDF at public hearings before government agencies.
• Provide other support to the team’s litigation efforts and regulatory advocacy, including supporting our transportation, petrochemical, and oil & gas work.
• Support environmental justice initiatives, particularly those related to addressing the disparate impacts of climate change.
• Participate in advancing EDF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

Qualifications

• Current 2L at ABA-approved law school.
• Interest in working on cutting edge regional, national, and international climate and air quality issues, including transportation, petrochemical, and oil & gas issues.
• Demonstrated interest or experience related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as it intersects with environmental law.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Well organized, motivated, and detail oriented.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in a team setting and have the ability to work independently when projects are due.
• Demonstrated initiative and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues

Location

Hybrid out of Boulder, CO.

Term

Summer 2024 (June-August for 10 weeks)

Hours

Full-time (35 hr/week)

Compensation

This internship would involve total compensation for work paid at a rate competitive with leading non-profits a total of $10,000 at an hourly rate of $28.57 either by EDF or external funding through school.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application, together with a writing sample and unofficial law school transcript. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in environmental law, policy, justice and relevant completed coursework.

Pay Ranges

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. We take into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms.

The pay range for this role is shown below.

Please note that pay ranges are country specific. As a result, the stated currency is not meant be converted into any other currency.

Minimum Salary

USD $28.57/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $28.57/Hr.

EEO Information

Environmental Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Keywords

legal internenvironmental lawpolicyjusticeresearchlitigationadvocacydiversityequityinclusion