Summer 2027 Federal Climate Initiatives Legal Intern

Overview

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth its people its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates lawyers scientists and communication experts to confront the climate crisis protect nature ensure the rights of all people to clean air clean water and healthy communities. As an international nonprofit environmental organization NRDC is working to address the worlds most urgent environmental challenges and advance innovative science-based and enforceable solutions.

Since our founding in 1970 NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of Americas foundational environmental laws including the Clean Air Act Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local state federal and international levels as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world from offices in Chicago Los Angeles New York City San Francisco and Washington D.C. as well as in Beijing and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).

Supported by our members and online activists NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis defend nature and safeguard public health acrossAsia Africa and the Americas. At NRDC we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent passion and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner healthier and more resilient world. Learn more at .

Our interns play an active role on the front lines of the environmental movement. Over the course of an internship NRDC interns work with lawyers scientists or policy analysts in different program areas and amass experience that they could not have obtained anywhere else. Interns also have access to various events to enhance their NRDC experience.

NRDC interns may support or work on:

• Research data collection and analysis
• Writing and developing materials for state and federal campaigns
• Supporting with designing equitable policy solutions
• Copywriting and editing social media posts and supporting on marketing campaigns
• Brainstorming opportunities for process improvements new vendors partnerships and engagement
• Project management of department and team-wide initiatives

You can find examples of work by our interns on our Careers Page.

Responsibilities

POSITION SUMMARY

NRDCs Climate & Energy Department is seeking a legal intern to support ongoing projects and priorities for our Power Division. This intern will report into the Legal Director of Federal Climate. This opportunity is based out of our Washington DC office and interns are expected to be onsite 3 days per week.

The Federal Climate Initiatives Legal Intern will have the opportunity to work on multiple projects including active litigation challenging Trump EPA Clean Air Act rollbacks and other Climate & Energy matters. The intern will have the opportunity to participate in strategy discussions draft legal memoranda and sections of briefs and interview standing declarants. They will also have the opportunity to participate in other forms of administrative advocacy including drafting comment letters and researching related legal issues. They will also be able to collaborate with litigation team interns in the D.C. office and join structured programming and learning opportunities with the broader legal community within NRDC.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be currently enrolled in a JD or LLM program
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Initiative proactiveness and creativity
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team
• Commitment to NRDCs mission values and DEI principles

TOOLS

• Must be familiar with Westlaw and/or comparable legal research tools.

DETAILS

• Duration: 10-weeks Commitment: 35 hours/week
  • This intern must be able to commit to working one of the following sessions:
    • Summer Session 1: Monday May 24 2027 Friday July 30 2027
    • Summer Session 2: Monday June 7 2027 Friday August 13 2027
• Hybrid Work Model: Summer Interns are expected to be in office 3 days/week. We will not be able to offer relocation assistance for the summer.
• Stipend: This is a paid internship with a stipend equivalent of $10000.00 paid bi-weekly over the course of the assignment.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply via the Apply for this job online link at the top of the job description on our Careers your application please include:

• A resume
• A cover letter that highlights your interest in working at NRDC and which summer session(s) you can join

Application Reviews begin the week of October 26. Positions will remain open and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis but we encourage you to apply early.

If you are applying to multiple internship opportunities and are interested in submitting more than one set of materials please add new materials per opportunity - do not replace your current materials.

If you have any questions or issues with iCIMS or applying please reach out to Please do not resubmit your application via email.

Our Talent Acquisition team is committed to reviewing each application received. To keep application reviews by our team equitable we will only accept applications submitted via iCIMS that include the documents asked for above. Any applications that do not contain the materials above will not be considered complete. Please no phone calls emails or in-person application drop-offs.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity equity and inclusion both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planets most pressing environmental problems and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race color religion gender gender identity or expression marital status sexual orientation national origin citizenship age disability veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

The incumbent will not qualify as an employee fellow volunteer or independent contractor of NRDC nor will the incumbent be guaranteed employment at the end of the internship term.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Interns are required to come into the office 3 days a week.

As a science-based organization NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health safety and equity we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved accordance with state or local law new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination. Those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions. NRDC treats all vaccination-related data confidentially in keeping with local state and federal laws.

To apply visit and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls emails or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-.

For more about NRDC visit .

Required Experience:

Intern