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Careers

Legal Internships and Clerkship Programs in EPA's Office of Administrative Law Judges

EPA's Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) offers qualified and highly motivated law students the opportunity to work in its Washington, D.C. headquarters office.

Academic Semester Internships

Current law students interested in our unpaid, academic semester internships are encouraged to submit their application materials for consideration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

  • Fall semester: Applications will be accepted until the last Friday of April.
  • Spring semester: Applications will be accepted until the last Friday of October.

Summer Honors Clerkship Program

Each year OALJ seeks applications for a 9-11 week Summer Honors Clerkship Program from law students who have completed their second year (or the equivalent for part-time students) at an ABA-accredited law school. Law clerks assist the Administrative Law Judges, the OALJ Administrator, and the staff attorneys by conducting legal research and drafting legal memoranda for environmental and other litigation, facilitating alternative dispute resolution teleconferences, and using multi-disciplinary skills to support OALJ.

OALJ prefers law clerks with strong academic credentials who have demonstrated an interest in environmental, administrative, and/or public interest law.

The deadline for applications is the last Friday of January. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested individuals should e-mail:

  • a cover letter,
  • resume,
  • unofficial transcript, and
  • a brief (5-10 pages) writing sample

to oaljfiling@epa.gov . Paper applications are discouraged. PDF or Word attachments are preferred. Please include your name in the file name of all attachments.

Recruitment for Post-Graduate Positions

Due to the rotational nature of our attorney positions, openings can occur at any time.  Post-graduate positions, when available, are advertised on USAJobs.