Summer 2027 Safe Water Initiative Legal Intern

Natural Resources Defense; Washington (District of Columbia); Vor Ort; USD 47.000 - 50.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Stipend: $10,000

Hybrid work model

Zusammenfassung

NRDC's Environmental Health Department seeks a legal intern to support projects for the Air & Water Division in Washington, DC. The intern reports to the Senior Strategic Director for Health and is expected onsite 3 days per week.

The Safe Water Initiative project includes lead, PFAS, and toxics legislation, with engagement in environmental justice and community activism in key cities. This 10-week paid internship offers a $10,000 stipend and a hybrid work model.

Qualifikationen

• Must be currently enrolled in a JD or LLM program.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Research and/or data analysis skills.
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles.

Aufgaben

• Support multiple ongoing projects involving protection of drinking water from lead, PFAS and other toxic chemicals.
• Assist with legislation in Congress and related environmental justice work.
• Contribute to research, data collection, and drafting materials for campaigns.

Kenntnisse

Strong written communication

Strong verbal communication

Independent and collaborative work

Research and data analysis

Ausbildung

JD or LLM program

Tools

Westlaw

MS Suite

Jobbeschreibung

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 world’s 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 America’s 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 nrdc.org.

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

NRDC's Environmental Health Department is seeking a legal intern to support ongoing projects and priorities for our Air & Water Division. This intern will report into the Senior Strategic Director for Health. This opportunity is based out of our Washington, DC office and interns are expected to be onsite 3 days per week.

The Safe Water Initiative Legal Intern will support multiple ongoing projects involving protection of drinking water from lead, PFAS and other toxic chemicals. This includes legislation in Congress, likely litigation challenging Trump Administration EPA rollbacks of drinking water and toxics rules, and our efforts to work with environmental justice and other community activists in key cities to protect drinking water from lead, PFAS and other contaminants.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be currently enrolled in a JD or LLM program
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, within a team
• Research and/or data analysis skills
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles

TOOLS

• Must be familiar with Westlaw legal research.
• Experience with MS Suite for data review/analysis is a plus.

Details

DETAILS

• Duration: 10-weeks | Commitment: 35 hours/week
  • This intern must be able to commit to working Summer Session 1: Monday May 24, 2027 – Friday July 30, 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 $10,000.00 paid bi-weekly over the course of the assignment.

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 planet's 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 vaccine. In 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.