Legal Careers
Legal Volunteer Intern – Torts Branch, Environmental Torts Litigation Section (Spring 2027)
Washington, DC 20005 - United States
The Environmental Torts Litigation Section (Torts-ETL), part of the Civil Division's Torts Branch, defends the United States in complex litigation involving property damage, wrongful death, and personal injury claims resulting from exposure to toxic substances in the environment, workplaces, and government-owned housing. Torts-ETL's cases are brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and frequently require the analysis of intricate scientific and medical evidence, as well as close coordination with expert witnesses.
Torts-ETL's litigation portfolio is broad and impactful, spanning individual claims, multi-plaintiff lawsuits, and major mass tort actions, including multi-district litigation involving per-fluorinated compounds (PFAS), lead contamination claims related to the Flint Water Crisis, groundwater contamination litigation from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility release in Hawaii, and allegations of false statements during environmental remediation at the Hunters Point Superfund Site in San Francisco. Through this work, Torts-ETL operates at the intersection of environmental policy, public health, and federal liability, shaping legal outcomes that affect communities nationwide and offering law student volunteers the opportunity to contribute to cases with significant real-world impact.
The Environmental Torts Litigation Section is seeking applications from qualified law students for volunteer internships during the Spring 2027 semester. Interns will work closely with attorneys and staff and gain practical experience in high-impact environmental torts and complex civil litigation.
Responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with the preparation, citation-checking, and formatting of legal documents such as motions, briefs, discovery responses, and correspondence
- Investigating cases and helping to organize large, document-intensive case files
- Researching federal and state law, as well as applicable federal agency regulations, policies, and guidelines relevant to environmental tort claims
- Researching expert witnesses, and reviewing and summarizing their reports and related materials, and helping attorneys evaluate complex scientific and medical evidence
- Summarizing deposition transcripts and medical records and drafting factual and legal memoranda
- Assisting in handling large mass tort and multi-district matters
- Working on a broad and diverse range of legal case matters, from individual tort claims to major nationwide litigation
- Being a part of a litigation team with real responsibility, visibility, and importance
All work must be performed in person at the Washington, DC office; telework is not permitted.
Eligibility Requirements
- U.S. citizenship
- Must be a current second- or third-year law student during the Spring 2027 semester
- Must have completed at least one year of law school by the start date of the internship
- Must be a current law student enrolled at least half-time at an accredited U.S. law school
- Successful completion of a background investigation and ability to obtain security clearance
- Ability to commit to a minimum of 8 weeks and at least 16 hours per week during Spring 2027
Note: Applications from current 1Ls, law school graduates, and LL.M. candidates are not eligible to apply.
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong legal or academic writing and research skills
- Interest in environmental law, tort law, toxic torts, complex multi-party or mass litigation, or related fields
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to manage and prioritize multiple assignments in a litigation environment
- Effective communication and teamwork skills, including a demonstrated commitment to collaborative work
- Professionalism, reliability, and a strong work ethic
Please submit the following materials in a single PDF:
- Cover Letter (may be addressed to T-ETL Intern Coordinator)
- Resume (not to exceed two pages)
- Unofficial Law School Transcript (reflecting current enrollment)
- Writing Sample (not to exceed 10 pages; may be excerpted)
- Unofficial Undergraduate Transcript (optional)
Submit application materials to: etlintern.hiring@usdoj.gov
Subject line: "[Last Name], [First Name] T-ETL Spring 2027 Internship Application"
All positions are unpaid. Interns may receive academic credit through their school or funding through eligible federal programs such as Federal Work Study (FWS), where applicable.
Department Policies
The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to equal employment opportunity (EEO) and treating employees with fairness, dignity and compassion. We must ensure that no applicant for employment or employee of our Department is denied equal opportunity because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex – including pregnancy – or because of age, physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor and that all have the freedom to compete on a fair and level playing field. To learn more, please view the Department’s full Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
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Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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