Summer Clerkship

The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is seeking summer law interns who share our zeal for using community lawyering practices to address the disproportionately adverse human health and environmental effects of pollution on minority and low-income populations.

From our home base in Detroit, Michigan, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center’s small team of lawyers continue an over-decade-long legacy of providing legal support to front-line environmental justice communities and their allies. Through the strategic use of litigation, policy research, community education, and other legal services, the Center employs a community-based lawyering approach to tackling some of the most significant challenges facing residents across the state of Michigan.

The Center created the Michigan Environmental Justice (MEJ) Law Summer Internship program to embody our commitment to training the next generation of environmental justice lawyers. Students gain practical legal experience through our program while sharpening their theoretical understanding of the relationship between social change, organizing, and lawyering.

Roles & Responsibilities

Law interns work under the direct supervision of Center attorneys on our cases and projects. They also participate in trainings on litigation skills, community lawyering, and other relevant topics. An intern’s responsibilities may include: preparing memoranda, briefs, and other legal documents for administrative and judicial proceedings, assisting in case investigation, legal research and discovery, and conducting policy research. In addition, they may be provided opportunities to attend court proceedings, community and client meetings, and law-related panels and events.

In the past, students have been given opportunities to address environmental justice concerns in cases involving the disproportionate siting of hazardous waste facilities in communities of color, air and water pollution violations, water affordability, lead in public water systems, and access to translation and interpretation services for limited English proficient communities during the environmental permitting process. Law students at the Center experience the unique opportunities and challenges of environmental justice lawyering at a small organization making a big impact.

Among other learning objectives, interns will be encouraged to explore the nuanced and intersectional ways minority and low-income populations, urban and rural, experience the cumulative impacts of pollution and how to incorporate those experiences into their legal advocacy.

Qualifications

Recognizing the systemic barriers that often impede the ability of underrepresented groups to obtain specific qualifications and experiences, we encourage those unsure of whether they meet the criteria outlined below but are excited by the possibility of pursuing this work to apply.

• Currently enrolled in law school.

• Member of frontline environmental justice community or demonstrated commitment to environmental justice, racial justice, civil rights, environmental protection, or social justice organizing.

• Initiative, creative thinking, and the ability to work collegially with others.

• Strong work ethic.

• Commitment of 20 hours per week, if part-time.

• Commitment of at least 40 hours per week, if full-time.

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following to andrew.bashi@glelc.org:

• Cover letter – Perhaps the most important piece of each application, the best cover letters are one page, providing information about the applicant that is not apparent or fully explained in the resume and addressing why the applicant wants to gain experience through the Center.

• Resume – We know that many pathways can lead students to this work. Please feel free to include volunteer and leadership experience alongside internships and paid work.

• Writing sample – Submit a sample that you feel best reflects your ability to write clearly and tackle complex legal issues.

• List of references.

No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.

Compensation

We strive to increase the marketability of students from Environmental Justice communities for future careers in this field, regardless of their financial situation. Because we have limited resources, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center requires applicants to make diligent efforts to secure summer funding from their law schools. Where students from Environmental Justice communities cannot secure funding or are provided funding at a lower amount than needed to offset the cost of working with the Center, we will do our best to provide or supplement summer funding. Please note that this funding is taxable income, subject to all federal, state, and local withholdings and deductions.

Application Deadlines and Timeline

The MEJ Law Internship application process occurs on a rolling basis. This includes both the acceptance of applications and the extension of offers. If interested, please submit your application materials as soon as possible.