Summer 2026 Legal Intern (1L)
About The Position
NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C. NRDC is seeking to hire a cohort of Summer Legal Interns to work on cases and projects with attorneys on our Litigation Team and within core issue areas (Human Health, Equity & Justice, Climate & Energy, and Nature). Our Summer Legal Interns can receive assignments from attorneys in any of our issue and practice areas through an assignment pool model. Intern positions for 1Ls are available in our San Francisco, Santa Monica, and Washington, D.C. offices. This posting is specifically for: full-time law students in their 1L year.
Requirements
- This internship is designed for current law school students.
- Prior experience in environmental law or with environmental issues is not required.
- Strong legal writing, analytical, and oral communication skills
- Experience effectively working on a team
- Creativity and resourcefulness
- Commitment to public service, equity, or justice
- Growth mindset and openness to feedback
- Demonstrated ability to work with people across different social identities and backgrounds
- Record of academic and/or professional accomplishment
- Commitment to NRDC’s values and mission
Responsibilities
- Researching and preparing legal memos in support of rulemaking proceedings
- Litigation case development, and active litigation and rulemaking proceedings
- Interviewing NRDC members and preparing standing declarations
- Helping draft and review portions of pleadings and review briefs
- Helping prepare comments to submit to administrative agencies or legislative bodies
- Helping craft proposed legislation to address environmental and public health problems
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
501-1,000 employees
