Legal Intern, Clean Affordable Power

Environmental Defense Fund, Inc.; United States; Hybrid; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Part time

Job summary

Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. seeks a part-time U.S. Legal & Regulatory intern for Fall 2026. The role supports EDF’s regulatory work with attorneys and focuses on clean air and climate protections while engaging diverse communities.

You will conduct legal and policy research, analyze filings, draft comments and briefs, and help develop advocacy materials on rate design, energy resources, and equity considerations.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled as a student at an ABA-approved law school.
• Interest in energy utility litigation and related courses or experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in environmental law.

Responsibilities

• Analyze utility rate cases, integrated resource plans and regulatory filings.
• Research legal and policy approaches to utility accountability, affordability and equity.
• Assist stakeholder engagement efforts to increase participation from underrepresented communities.
• Draft public-facing documents on legal issues such as fact sheets or blog posts.
• Support litigation and regulatory advocacy efforts.
• Contribute to environmental justice initiatives and community engagement.
• Support EDF values and organizational culture goals.

Skills

Excellent written and oral comms

Multi-tasking

Team working

Independent work

Problem solving

Cultural competency

Self-awareness

Education

ABA-approved law school student

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. Team members work across the D.C. and Boulder offices, as well as remotely throughout the U.S.

Term

Fall 2026

Hours

Part-time (10-15 hr/week)

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 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

The intern will support EDF’s Clean Affordable Power legal team in regulatory proceedings before state public utility commissions across the Midwest and Northeast. Working closely with attorneys, the intern will conduct legal and policy research, analyze utility filings and testimony, and help develop comments, briefs, and other advocacy materials on issues including utility rate design, demand response, heat pump deployment, distributed energy resources, and utility planning. The intern will also support EDF’s Community Voices in Energy initiative by developing educational resources, researching best practices for meaningful public participation, and contributing to projects that strengthen community engagement and advance equitable utility decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Tasks may include but are not limited to:

• Analyze utility rate cases, integrated resource plans, performance metrics proposals, and other state regulatory filings.
• Research legal and policy approaches to improving utility accountability, affordability, reliability, and equity outcomes.
• Assist with stakeholder engagement efforts and projects designed to increase participation from communities historically underrepresented in energy decision-making.
• Draft public-facing documents such as fact sheets and blog posts about legal issues.
• 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 student at ABA-approved law school.
• Interest in energy utility litigation, with previous working experience or energy law course work.
• 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.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem solving skills.

Compensation

This internship would involve compensation for work paid at a rate competitive with leading non-profits at an hourly rate of $28.57.

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