Legal Intern

Environmental Defense Fund; Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 33,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. (EDF) is seeking U.S. Legal & Regulatory interns for Spring 2027 to support research, drafting, and advocacy in climate and energy policy.

The program emphasizes meaningful contributions to landmark cases, regulatory proceedings, and national issues from a U.S. remote and hybrid model with offices in Boulder, CO, and DC. Interns will research and draft memos, participate in litigation support, and help analyze policy impacts while gaining mentorship and

Qualifications

• Current 2L or 3L student at ABA-approved law school.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be well organized, motivated, and detail-oriented.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in a team setting and independently when deadlines arise.
• Demonstrated initiative and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity.

Responsibilities

• Research on climate and clean air issues; factual and legal analysis.
• Draft litigation filings, comments, and public-facing documents.
• Assess impacts of recent court decisions on EDF priorities.
• Support environmental justice initiatives addressing climate impacts.
• Represent EDF at public hearings and regulatory proceedings.
• Contribute to EDF's litigation and regulatory advocacy efforts.

Skills

Excellent written & oral communication

Well organized

Detail-oriented

Multi-tasking

Teamwork

Independent work

Initiative

Problem solving

Cultural competency & inclusivity

Education

ABA-approved law school

Job description

EDF internships provide high-quality experiences (including relevant projects and opportunities for networking) that form the foundation for any individual who is serious about pursuing an environmental career.

Location

U.S. Remote with the option to work in a hybrid arrangement from EDF offices in Boulder, CO, or Washington, D.C. The intern supervisor is U.S. Remote, and team members work across the Washington, D.C., and Boulder offices, as well as remotely throughout the U.S.

Term

Spring 2027 (January-May)

Hours

Part-time (10-15 hr/week)

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.

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 to 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 have also contributed to energy regulatory advocacy seeking to prevent wasteful expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure and to facilitate the clean energy transition.

Overall Function

Legal interns will work on projects such as researching and writing legal and policy memos and other 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 may 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.
• Support environmental justice initiatives, particularly those related to addressing the disparate impacts of climate change.
• Participate in advancing EDF's organizational effectiveness and culture goals, so people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included and empowered to address environmental and organizational challenges in ways that align with EDF values.

Qualifications

• Current 2L or 3L student at ABA-approved law school.
• Interest in working on cutting-edge regional and national climate or energy issues.
• Demonstrated interest or experience related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as it intersects with environmental law.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be 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 and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.

Compensation

This internship is compensated at a rate competitive with leading nonprofits, with an hourly rate of $28.57.

Learn more about internships at EDF -http://www.edf.org/environmental-careers/internships