NETI Law Clerk Honors Program in EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

EPA’s National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI), in  the Compliance, Inspector, and Training Division, offers qualified and highly motivated law students the opportunity to intern side by side with practicing environmental lawyers and technical professionals across the agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) in Washington, D.C. 

NETI’s Law Clerk Honors Program for the fall and spring semesters are 10 weeks either full-time or part-time. The summer semester program is full-time for 10 weeks. All law clerk positions are unpaid and limited to U.S. citizens.

What do law clerks in this program do?

EPA’s enforcement and compliance offices enforce and ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; and other environmental laws. 

Law clerks work with practicing environmental lawyers and technical professionals on active cases, policies and other projects related to civil (administrative and judicial) and criminal enforcement, investigations, inspections, targeting/priorities, federal facilities enforcement, state/tribal enforcement coordination, and other matters. Specific projects and assigned practice areas will depend upon where the law clerk is placed within an OECA program office. 

Additionally, NETI’s Law Clerk Honors Program includes opportunities to attend specialized training sessions on environmental compliance and enforcement, as well as some relevant technical and data topics. These sessions provide first-hand knowledge from EPA’s leading compliance and enforcement experts.

More information about OECA’s activities is available on EPA’s Compliance website and Enforcement website.

Who is eligible?

Qualified students must be U.S. citizens and enrolled not less than half-time in law school. Positions are competitive. We look for qualified and highly motivated candidates with superior records of achievement, a commitment to environmental and/or law enforcement work, and who work well in teams.

Where would I intern?

In-person students intern at EPA Headquarters located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. The program also provides the opportunity to intern remotely within the U.S. All students, regardless of whether they intern in-person or virtually, will be provided with an EPA-issued laptop.

What is the program’s typical weekly minimum hours?

• Summer semester: Minimum of 40 hours per week for 10  weeks.
• Fall and spring semesters: Minimum of 15 hours per week for 10 weeks.

Are the positions paid? 

• The NETI Law Clerk Honors program does not offer paid positions.
• Some law schools provide law school credit(s) for participation in programs like the NETI Law Clerk Honors Program. Please check with your law school to confirm whether our program satisfies their requirements.
• Some law schools provide a public interest stipend for participation in programs like the NETI Law Clerk Honors Program. Please check with your law school to confirm whether a stipend program is available.

Information on applications and deadlines

Submit your application via email to OECALawInternProgram@epa.gov. On the subject line include your name and the semester/year for which you are applying—fall, spring and/or summer. Your application must include the following: 

• Resume no longer than two pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be considered.
• Cover letter that includes a statement of interest and highlights your skills and subject area preferences.
• Two or three references with name, title, phone number and email address.
• Writing sample.
• Preference to participate in-person in Washington, D.C. or virtually.

Application Deadlines

Interviews for selected applicants will be scheduled remotely via MS Teams.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications submitted after the deadline will only be considered if positions are available.

If you have any questions, please email OECALawInternProgram@epa.gov.