Region 1: EPA New England

Legal Internships

FOR CURRENT LAW STUDENTS ONLY / AVAILABLE FOR SPRING 2010 and SUMMER 2010

EPA New England offers a unique opportunity for law students to join an office dedicated to protecting public health and the environment in New England. The Region has innovative initiatives addressing environmental justice, brownfields redevelopment, and urban environmental issues, as well as comprehensive programs to protect our air, water, and land. EPA New England's legal offices are diverse and supportive, and legal interns receive mentoring from attorneys with regionally and nationally recognized expertise.

EPA New England

EPA New England, located in Boston, MA, is one of ten regional offices of the Environmental Protection Agency. The mission of the Agency is to protect public health and to preserve the environment.

EPA New England employs more than 700 people who are responsible for implementing the federal environmental statutes and programs in the six New England states. The staff includes scientists, environmental engineers, environmental protection specialists, and attorneys.

EPA New England attorneys provide legal advice on the implementation and enforcement of federal laws administered by EPA, including laws relating to air and water pollution, the control of toxic substances, and the management and disposal of hazardous wastes.

The sixty-plus attorneys in EPA New England work on a full range of legal matters including:

• enforcement actions brought in administrative hearings or federal district court against violators of federal environmental protection statutes and regulations;
• defense of EPA in lawsuits filed against it;
• review of the statutes and regulations of states and Indian tribes seeking delegations of authority from EPA to have primary responsibility for federal environmental programs;
• legal advice concerning the operation of the regional office; and
• legal advice concerning the administration of EPA grant programs.

The attorneys are housed in two separate offices: enforcement of the federal environmental statutes is managed through the Office of Environmental Stewardship. All other legal work is managed through the Office of Regional Counsel.

LEGAL INTERN PROGRAM

EPA New England is seeking motivated law school students with strong academic credentials for legal intern positions. Only currently enrolled law school students are eligible to apply for the program. We are particularly interested in students planning careers in the public sector or seeking experience in environmental law. Legal interns will have the opportunity to work on a challenging range of issues involving environmental protection and public policy throughout New England.

Summer internships are, at a minimum, ten week full-time positions. There is a summer program that includes weekly meetings introducing the legal interns to a broad range of regional activities, field trips, and brown bag lunches with senior managers.

Funding may be available for some positions. Students with outside sources of funding (i.e., scholarship, fellowship, or grant funds) or who may receive college credit are encouraged to apply.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Applications for full-time internships in Spring 2010 should be submitted prior to December 1, 2009.

The deadline for the submittal of applications for full-time internships for Summer 2010 is February 5, 2010. However, we encourage you to submit your application for the Summer 2010 program as early as possible. Some offers may be made as early as November, 2009.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an equal opportunity employer. EPA encourages people of color to apply.

Contact Information

Resumes for legal intern positions should be sent to:

Barbara Barrett/Office of Environmental Stewardship
U.S. EPA, Region 1
1 Congress Street
Suite 1100 (Mail Code: SES)
Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2023
Phone: 617-918-1700

Please be sure to include the mail code (SES) in our address.

Resumes also may be sent by email to: internships.legal@epa.gov

Legal intern positions are not open to any undergraduate students or to those post-graduate students who are not currently attending law school.

Legal Interns State Their Case "My summer internship at EPA New England was the most rewarding experience in my law school career. The program is very well organized and fast-paced – you learn a tremendous amount about the EPA legal organization in a very short time." Julie Batal Suffolk Law School, Summer 2006 "My summer in the Office of Regional Counsel has proven to be valuable preparation for private practice in environmental law. It was an opportunity to gain an intimate understanding of the work of agency lawyers and to delve into cutting-edge environmental issues. I cannot think of a better summer experience for any law student with a strong interest in environmental law than working closely with the Region’s talented and committed attorneys." Christophe Courchesne Harvard Law School, Summer 2003 "Working with attorneys in the legal office was an excellent opportunity. In addition to improving my research and writing skills, I learned a great deal about environmental and administrative law. My mentor clarified my interests, found projects for me that she thought I would benefit from, and set up meetings or informal lunches with people that I could connect with even if there wasn’t a work project associated with it." Kate Heller Northeastern University Law School, Summer 2005 "To learn how environmental law is actually practiced, a legal internship with EPA cannot be beat. I was provided with the opportunity to work one-on-one with experienced attorneys on a broad range of assignments including legal research on the extent of EPA's enforcement authority at federal facilities under the Clean Water Act and the drafting of a consent agreement under the Clean Air Act. Beyond research and writing, I attended monthly attorney meetings, case negotiations, and an administrative hearing. On a personal level, I felt very welcomed by the Region’s attorneys, paralegals and staff – all of whom were fantastic mentors." John Hultgren Northeastern University Law School, Winter 2005 Summer Program Activities The Summer Program includes activities for interns such as information sessions with EPA experts on homeland security, criminal enforcement, emergency response, energy, and environmental justice; a Commonwealth tidelands walking tour; legal office retreat; and brown bag lunches with senior regional managers.