Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) seeks law school and graduate students who are passionate about marine conservation and are interested in dedicating a summer to work with CLF’s Ocean Conservation team to advance cutting edge legal strategies and policy solutions.
CLF’s Ocean Conservation Program works to: advance sustainable fisheries with a focus on rebuilding Atlantic cod and forage fish populations and protecting important fish habitat; protect and rebuild the North Atlantic right whale population through a multi-pronged campaign to address the primary threats of ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear, as well as the impacts of climate change and increasing ocean noise; protect New England’s special ocean places by establishing new protected areas in the ocean and effectively managing existing marine protected areas; advance responsibly developed offshore wind; and defend and support our bedrock environmental statutes and institutions governing ocean resource management.
Responsibilities: Over the course of the summer, you will support CLF’s Ocean Conservation Program by working on a range of policy and legal issues related to restoring and protecting the rich diversity of ocean wildlife and the health of New England’s ocean through preparation of legal and other research memos, reports, and presentations; assisting on litigation pleadings and briefs, and regulatory and policy comments as possible; and attending coalition meetings with our regional and national partners, public hearings, and court proceedings.
As a CLF Cavers Intern you will be paired with an either experienced attorney (if a law student) or a senior scientist or policy expert (if a graduate student) in our Ocean Conservation Program, and among a cohort of other interns who will be in our other program areas: clean energy and climate change; clean air and water; strategic litigation; community resilience; and environmental justice. This program was created to honor the memory of David Cavers, a strong supporter of CLF. David worked with CLF from 1981 until his death in November of 2000. As a Director, he was integral in steering the organization through many of the tough battles that led to the prominence it enjoys today. During his time at CLF, David took great satisfaction in mentoring law students and preparing them for careers as effective environmental advocates.
A Boston-based intern is preferred with the possibility of some remote work. The Cavers Internship requires a commitment of 10 weeks of full-time work and is paid a stipend of $9,000 for those based outside of Boston, and $10,000 for those based in our Boston office. If the Ocean Conservation Cavers position is filled, CLF will automatically consider applicants to the Cavers program for another summer internship at CLF if funding is available at the same stipend amount.
To apply:
A complete application consists of the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school and/or graduate school transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
- Writing sample demonstrating legal or policy analysis
- Your cover letter should indicate (i) whether you prefer an in person, remote, or hybrid internship experience (ii) whether you would be receiving academic credit or fulfilling an academic requirement with your internship, and (iii) the CLF office(s) that you are applying to.
Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) protects New England’s environment for the benefit of all people. A non-profit, member-supported organization, CLF uses the law, science, and the market to solve the region’s most challenging environmental problems, from climate change to ocean conservation to transportation. Every day, CLF advocates stand up for New Englanders—in statehouses, courthouses, boardrooms, regulatory hearings, and community gatherings—to forge innovative paths to environmental progress and economic prosperity for all in our region. To that end, CLF frequently works with communities of color, and those that are economically or otherwise disadvantaged, which often suffer disproportionately from the impacts of environmental degradation.
CLF is committed to diversity among our staff, volunteers, interns, boards, and membership and creating a positive, inclusive workplace culture where all can thrive.
