Careers and Internships
Legal Internships in EPA's Office of Regional Counsel in Denver (Region 8)
Internships in Region 8's Office of Regional Counsel (ORC) offer an exciting opportunity for talented law students to learn about practicing as government lawyers while making substantive contributions to the legal work performed by ORC.
What do interns hired under this program do?
EPA Region 8 works to protect human health and the environment in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and on 26 reservations where 27 sovereign tribal nations reside. ORC practice areas include environmental, energy, Indian, and general law (employment, EEO, grants, contracts and information law).
Interns work directly with ORC lawyers advising Regional staff about how environmental statutes, regulations, case law, and policies apply to Regional matters. Intern assignments include conducting legal research and writing research memoranda regarding environmental, energy, Indian, administrative and general law matters. Interns may have the opportunity to observe and participate in client meetings and external negotiations as well as assist in client counseling.
Who is eligible?
Law students who have completed one or more courses in Environmental Law and who have completed or are currently enrolled in Administrative Law may apply.
What is the typical length of employment?
Fall internships run from September through December; spring internships run from February through April; and summer internships from June through August. Interns are expected to work for a minimum of 10 weeks.
For fall and spring semester internships, interns are expected to work a minimum of 15 hours per week. Summer interns are expected to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.
Are the positions paid? What are the benefits?
Our office is not able to provide financial compensation to its interns, though students are sometimes able to find stipends or grants from outside sources or obtain course credits from their law school. Interns will be able to apply for a transit subsidy for the cost of public transportation during the internship.
How and when do I apply?
You should send via email in plain text, Word, WordPerfect, or PDF formats:
- a cover letter,
- your resume,
- names and phone numbers of three references (at least one should be a law school professor),
- your law school transcript, and
- a writing sample.
The deadline for applying for the fall internship is June 30; spring is September 30, and summer is December 30.