About the Clerkship

EPA's Office of Regional Counsel in Region 3, an equal opportunity employer, has volunteer clerkship positions available during the summer for first- and second-year law students. We will consider students who qualify for work-study funds, but only where EPA is not required to contribute financially to the work-study program.

Summer law clerks will be expected to undertake a variety of tasks, which will include complex research projects and the drafting of legal documents under the supervision of staff attorneys in the Office of Regional Counsel. Additionally, clerks will be encouraged to accompany staff attorneys to client meetings, negotiating sessions, trials, hearings, and depositions.

Although our summer clerkships are not salaried positions, our selection process is quite competitive. Qualified candidates should have strong academic credentials and excellent legal research and writing skills.  Previous experience or demonstrated interest in environmental or administrative law is helpful, but not required for prospective law clerks. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

The summer program typically runs from late May to early August of each year.

Seminar Program

As part of the summer law clerk program, the Office of Regional Counsel will hold weekly seminars for law clerks concerning various topics related to EPA's environmental law practice. The seminars are presented by EPA Region 3 staff attorneys and are designed to give our law clerks a deeper understanding of current legal environmental issues. Former summer clerks have praised the seminar program as a highlight of their clerking experience. Seminars presented during recent summers include “Global Warming: Is There Any Law Out There?”, “Environmental Justice Issues in EPA Region 3”, and "Anatomy of an Environmental Crimes Investigation and Prosecution".

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• Resume,
• Cover letter,
• Writing sample,
• Contact information for three (3) references, and
• A copy of your most recent law school transcript.

Applicants are highly encouraged to apply via e-mail to the following address: r3_orclawclerkships@epa.gov. All application materials sent via e-mail should be consolidated into a single .pdf file.

In the alternative, applicants may send hard copies of application materials to the Program’s secretary, Tanya Williams, at the following address:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region III, (3RC00)
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
(215) 814-2146

The application deadline is January 31 of each year. For second-year students, we encourage you to apply as early as possible. First-year students should apply once they have received their first semester grades. First-year students who will not receive their first semester grades prior to January 31, however, should submit their applications prior to EPA’s deadline and supplement their applications once they receive their grades.

Interviews are conducted on a rolling basis and will begin in January. The summer class will not be filled prior to the deadline.

Spring and Fall Semester Clerkships

EPA Region 3’s Office of Regional Counsel also has full- and part-time volunteer law clerk positions available during the academic year. Many of our academic-year law clerks earn course credit from their law schools for their clerkships.  The application deadlines for academic year clerkships are June 15 for the Fall semester and November 15 for the Spring semester.  Interested students should apply in the same manner and with the same materials as listed above.  Please indicate that you are applying for a Spring or Fall clerkship in the subject line of your e-mail, as well as in your cover letter.