Summer 2026 Equity & Community Partnerships Legal Intern

Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C.

NRDC is seeking a Summer 2026 Equity & Community Partnerships Legal Intern to work with the Nature and EEJC teams associated with our Washington, DC office.

Responsibilities

As part of the Equity and Community Partnerships team, work in partnership colleagues in Nature Department and the Environment, Equity, and Justice Center (EEJC) to support Lands, Oceans, and Food and Agriculture strategies, metrics, and workplans that center equity. A likely focus will be legal research related to co-management frameworks for marine and terrestrial conservation – with a emphasis on Tribal co-management in the US and Indigenous co-management globally.

• Conduct legal research and writing in support of Nature ECP’s ongoing work.
• Attend team meetings within Nature ECP and with other relevant departments.
• Alongside NRDC staff, attend meetings with partners and in person or zoom advocacy opportunities.
• Help cultivate institutional support for NRDC’s community partners, helping to elevate the needs and perspectives of marginalized and vulnerable communities relevant to Nature Department advocacy.

Qualifications

• Rising 3L law student.

• Knowledge of or demonstrated interest in equity and justice work.

• Knowledge of or demonstrated interest in Lands, Oceans, or Food and Agriculture and the ability to learn new and sometimes wide-ranging subject matter areas.

• Strong research and writing skills.

• Strong interpersonal and active listening skills, with a collaborative working style.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.

• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

This position is: a paid internship with a stipend equivalent to $10,000.00 that will be paid out bi-weekly over the course of the assignment.

The incumbent will not qualify as an employee, fellow, volunteer, or independent contractor of NRDC, nor will the incumbent be guaranteed employment at the end of the internship term.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come into the office 8 days per month.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination. Those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions. NRDC treats all vaccination-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.