DOJ’s ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION
LAW CLERK POSITIONS
(Also see Symplicity posting #19768)
The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) litigates in five key areas:
Pollution Control and Prevention
Natural Resources and Public Lands
Wildlife
Indian Resources
Land Acquisition
ENRD’s attorneys represent federal agencies by preparing and arguing civil and criminal enforcement cases and by defending challenged federal agency actions under more than 100 federal laws. Cases handled by ENRD are at the cutting edge of environmental and natural resources law. The Division’s work protects our environment for future generations.
We offer opportunities for clerkships in our offices in Washington, DC; Denver, CO; Sacramento, CA; Boston, MA; and Seattle, WA. The number of positions vary according to location and semester.
This space will provide law clerk opportunity postings throughout the year.
Please direct your questions to applyintern.enrd@usdoj.gov.
Projected No. of Volunteers:
Available positions vary according to semester and location.
Assignments:
Law Clerks assist the Division’s lawyers in litigating cases in Federal district and appellate courts.
Responsibilities typically include conducting legal research and helping to draft pleadings, discovery documents, and memoranda of law dealing with a variety of federal environmental and natural resource issues. The Division handles cases covering a broad spectrum of issues including the listing of endangered species, civil and criminal enforcement of federal pollution control laws, and defense of federal agency actions under environmental and natural resources laws. For more information about the nine sections of
ENRD, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/internships.
Salary: Uncompensated. We will coordinate with students who are eligible to receive academic or work study credit from their law school.
Minimum Weeks Required: Applicants who are available to work for the entire summer or spring/fall semester will be given preference. Please include your availability in your cover letter.
Qualifications:
ENRD is seeking students with:
Strong academic accomplishments
Strong research and writing skills
An interest in one of ENRD’s five key areas, in litigation, and/or in public interest law
When You May Apply:
YOUR CURRENT YEAR Spring Clerkship Summer Clerkship Fall Clerkship
1L (not eligible) December 1st – January 5th
For 2L Fall: March 1st – April 22nd 2L
For 2L Spring: August 1st – September 25th
August 1st – September 7th and December 1st – January 5th
For 3L Fall: March 1st – April 22nd 3L
For 3L Spring: August 1st – September 25th
(not eligible) (not eligible)
LLM August 1st – September 25th August 1st – September 7th and December 1st – January 5th
March 1st – April 22nd Joint Degree Program August 1st –September 25th
August 1st – September 7th and December 1st – January 5th
March 1st – April 22nd
1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls must be currently enrolled at least half-time in a law degree program.
1Ls are eligible to apply for summer clerkships after December 1st. The Department follows the
National Association of Law Placement guidelines that prohibit employer contact with first-year (first-semester) students regarding summer employment prior to that date.
Joint degree and LLM students must be currently enrolled at least half-time and not practicing law.
In addition, applicants must:
Be U.S. citizens
Successfully complete a background check prior to appointment
Have been residents of the United States for at least 36 months out of the previous 5 years prior to their prospective start date. Active duty military and Foreign Service employees posted abroad are exempt from this requirement.
To Apply:
Please visit https://www.justice.gov/enrd/internships for a list of currently open positions at ENRD’s headquarters and field offices.
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.
Candidates must successfully complete a security clearance prior to appointment.