Climate Program – Legal Internship

Public Citizen is a national, non-partisan, public interest group with more than 500,000 members and supporters. We hold the government and corporations accountable with campaigns and advocacy before Congress, administrative agencies, and the courts, on issues including money in politics, open government, financial regulation, energy and the climate crisis, fair trade, consumer protection, access to justice, tax policy, workplace safety, drug and medical device safety, healthcare, and more. We are the reason why there are air bags in cars and there were no red M&Ms for a decade. And much more.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Public Citizen’s Climate Program is looking for smart, creative, resourceful, and diligent interns to assist our policy development and advocacy at the intersection of climate and financial regulation. This is a new and exciting policy area, and we are making a big impact.

We are advancing a broad, ambitious agenda of financial policies that advance a swift, safe transition away from fossil fuels and promote rather than impede racial, economic, and intergenerational justice. We advocate for market rules, including on disclosures, credit ratings, claims that investment products or services are “green,” and more, to empower investors to avoid climate-related risks and use their dollars to advance their values. We are also working to incorporate climate considerations into a broad set of banking and insurance regulatory tools—supervisory guidance and examinations, scenario analysis, the designation and supervision of systemically important nonbank financial companies, capital regulation, community reinvestment rules, and the use of concentration limits, portfolio limits, or other activity limits.

Responsibilities:

The Climate Program legal internship is designed to provide law students with a better understanding of the role of legal research in policy advocacy and to provide exposure to a range of strategic tactics for advancing public policy. Law student interns will engage in legal research and writing to support policy advocacy and legislative priorities on climate-related financial regulation. Interns will assist with drafting white papers, reports, fact sheets, letters, testimony, and comments on proposed rules. Interns may also have opportunities to participate in public education, media, and campaign strategies. 

Requirements:

• Knowledge: Current law school enrollment or completed Juris Doctor degree. 
• Skills: Excellent legal research, analytical thinking, oral and written communication, and organizational skills.
• Qualities: Eagerness to learn and ability to learn quickly. Collaborative spirit, high energy, and enthusiasm. Ability to balance multiple projects and priorities. 

To Apply:

Our internships are up to 40 hours a week for around eight weeks. 

Public Citizen offers unpaid internships (credit can be arranged) and a small number of paid internships ($17 an hour).  The application for a paid internship will include an essay outlining why you want to intern at Public Citizen and any other information about you that you wish to have considered, including your need for financial support (500 words or less), as well as a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) if you have completed the FAFSA. Paid Internship application for the fall must be submitted by March 25, 2024 and you will be notified if you are selected on April 15, 2024.**

Submit a single document that includes a cover letter, resume, and writing sample of no more than five pages to climateaction@citizen.org. Please include your last name and the position for which you are applying in the subject line of your email and the filename of your attachment. Women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and multilingual speakers are encouraged to apply. No phone calls please.