Spring 2027 Legal Internship (US)

Summary

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is a nonprofit organization working at the intersection of human rights and the environment. The legal intern will conduct legal research and writing, assist with policy analysis and advocacy, attend meetings and conferences, support publications and legal briefs, and contribute to amicus curiae preparation and other projects with CIEL staff.

Responsibilities

• Researching and writing about areas of domestic and international law, including environmental and human rights law, international investment law, and international trade law and policy
• Assisting with policy analysis and advocacy
• Attending meetings and conferences
• Assisting with the production of CIEL publications, legal opinions and legal briefs
• Support in the preparation of amicus curiae before international tribunals
• Otherwise working closely with CIEL staff on various projects

Skills

• Applicants should be enrolled in a course of study leading to a postgraduate law degree (JD, LLM) or similar professional qualification for the duration of the internship
• We cannot accept recent graduates
• Applicants must possess some experience with international environmental or human rights law, either through graduate-level courses or work experience
• Applicants must be willing to make a ten-week commitment of 15 hours/week
• We can only consider applicants for this US internship who will carry out their internship while physically residing in the United States
• For non-US citizens, you must be a currently enrolled student in the US and would undertake your internship as part of your university-sponsored student visa
• Successful applicants generally possess excellent research and writing skills and a strong dedication to public interest law

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Applicants should be enrolled in a course of study leading to a postgraduate law degree (JD, LLM) or similar professional qualification for the duration of the internship
• We cannot accept recent graduates
• Applicants must possess some experience with international environmental or human rights law, either through graduate-level courses or work experience
• Applicants must be willing to make a ten-week commitment of 15 hours/week
• we can only consider applicants for this US internship who will carry out their internship while physically residing in the United States
• For non-US citizens, you must be a currently enrolled student in the US and would undertake your internship as part of your university-sponsored student visa

Nice to Haves

• Successful applicants generally possess excellent research and writing skills and a strong dedication to public interest law

Benefits

• A monthly stipend is available for any intern eligible to receive it under the rules applied by their jurisdiction and educational institution. The basic stipend is $2,600 per month for a full-time internship in Washington, DC; for less than full-time internships, the stipend is prorated according to the intern’s approximate level of time commitment to CIEL.
• All CIEL legal internships may be carried out remotely.
• Learning from and supervised by a diverse staff of experts and attorneys, internships offer insight into innovative developments in international environmental law and human rights through real-world training and practice.