Honor Law Graduate Program - Legal Intern / Attorney

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Rockville (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeks graduating law students or judicial law clerks for its Honor Law Graduate Program in the Office of the General Counsel, offering two-year rotations across divisions to gain broad exposure to NRC's legal practice.

Qualified applicants must be in the top tier of their law school class and hold a JD or LL.M by 2026-2027, with specialized experience in nuclear energy law or related fields; bar admission is expected within two years of appointment.

Qualifications

• 3L law student or JD/LL.M. graduate by 2026-2027
• GPA 3.25 or higher or top 30% of class
• Specialized experience in nuclear energy law, NRC practice, environmental law, government contracts, employment law, labor relations, fiscal law, information law, administrative law and procedure, or regulatory law
• Bar admission expected during first year of NRC employment and evidence of Bar membership as soon as available

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate ability to perform legal analysis and communicate results orally and in writing
• Provide an unedited writing sample demonstrating analytical ability
• Describe how you possess specialized experience and how you meet desired qualifications in your resume

Skills

Legal research

Oral advocacy

Written communication

Education

J.D. degree

LL.M. degree

Tools

Bar admission within 2 years

Job description

Each year, the NRC selects a small number of graduating law students or judicial law clerks to serve in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC's) Honor Law Graduate Program (HLGP). Established in 1972, the HLGP is the primary mechanism for hiring entry level attorneys at the NRC. As an Honor Law Graduate, you will serve in a two-year program consistent of rotational assignments through different OGC divisions in order to gain broad exposure to the diverse legal practice at the NRC. In order to qualify for the Honor Law Graduate Program, you must meet the qualification criteria listed below. Please read carefully to determine the grade at which you would qualify based on your education and specialized experience.

GG-11:

1. A third-year law student (3L) at an American Bar Association accredited law school who will earn a J.D degree no later than June 2026-2027 academic year; or

- a graduate of American Bar Association accredited law school who will earn an LL.M. degree no later than June of the 2026-2027 academic year

-or a J.D degree and current judicial law clerk or licensed attorney with less than one year of judicial law clerk or attorney experience within 30 days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement and

2. Be in at least the upper (30%) of your law school class and/or have an overall grade point average (GPA) and at least a 3.25 based on a scale of 4.0. Note: If your law school does not calculate class rank, and also does not provide traditional grades or a GPA, you should include a link to the school's grading policy and should provide a narrative explanation of how your law school performance correlates with our requirements.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE includes educational, academic, or work-related experience in nuclear energy law, NRC practice, environmental law, government contracts, employment law, labor relations, government contracts, fiscal law, information law, administrative law and procedure, or regulatory law.

GG-12:

1. a J.D degree; or

- an LL.M degree and

-a current judicial law clerk or licensed attorney with a minimum of one year or judicial law clerk experience or attorney experience within 30 calendar days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement and

2. Be in at least the upper (30 %) of my law school class and /or have an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 based on a scale of 4.0. Note: If your law school does not calculate class rank, and also does not provide traditional grades or a GPA, you should include a link to the school's grading policy and should provide a narrative explanation of how your law school performance correlates with our requirements.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE includes educational, academic, or work-related experience in nuclear energy law, NRC practice, environmental law, government contracts, employment law, labor relations, government contracts, fiscal law, information law, administrative law and procedure, or regulatory law.

Admissions to the Bar is not a prerequisite to applying and being considered for the Honor Law Graduate Program but is expected during the first year of NRC employment. Recent law school graduates who join the NRC before Bar examination results are available will provide evidence of Bar membership as soon as possible after admissions. Selectees who are not admitted to the bar within 2 years may be separated from the NRC. The ideal candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate the following:

• experience in nuclear energy law, NRC practice, environmental law, government contracts, employment law, labor relations, government contracts, fiscal law, information law, administrative law and procedure, or regulatory law.
• Ability to perform legal analysis and communicate the result of that analysis orally and in writing (evidence of relevant employment and experience or internship, academic achievement, extracurricular law school activities).
• Ability to perform legal analysis and communicate the results of that analysis in writing as evidenced by an unedited writing example.

A description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate must be addressed in your resume.

PLEASE BE CLEAR AND CONCISE. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.