STUDENT INTERN (LEGAL)

Position Overview

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to hire Student Interns to participate in a training program for a period not to exceed  3.5 months/summer while enrolled in a recognized college, university, or law school.  Student Interns will work with IEPA attorneys and other legal staff to develop regulations, support environmental enforcement actions, conduct legal research, and perform other legal work to support IEPA’s mission. The assigned work will augment the Student Interns’ field of study with the goal of obtaining a Juris Doctor and license to practice law in the State of Illinois.

 We invite all qualified candidates to apply.

Essential Functions

Serves as a designated student intern in the Division of Legal Counsel at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) for a period not to exceed (3.5) months/summer while enrolled in and attending a recognized college, university, or law school. Performs regulatory development and enforcement support work as instructed by Agency legal staff for the Bureaus of Air, Land and Water and other agency programs.
• Participates in on-the job training to provide incumbents with general knowledge of legal regulatory and enforcement activities in the assigned area, which augments student studies in law.
• Provides support work within an assigned area of the Agency as needed on projects of a basic nature to receive on the job training to enhance knowledge relative to the overview of Agency operations and activities, with emphasis on fields directly related to incumbent’s field of study.

Assists Division of Legal Counsel attorneys and other legal staff on special projects:
• Completes controlled work assignments involving practical application of legal activities and tasks, including research, analysis, and document preparation.
• Assists staff conducting research for special projects.
• Assists staff in gathering information for utilization in administrative hearings.

Attends and participates in staff meetings, conferences and training seminars to provide increased awareness of current practices, laws, rules and regulations

Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.
 

Minimum Qualifications

Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to the completion of high school and active enrollment at a college.

Requires no previous work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers active enrollment in a recognized law school.
• Prefers a bachelor’s degree in business, political science, public administration, legal studies, communication or a similar field.
• Prefers successful completion of at least 24 credit hours of law from a recognized law school.
• Prefers enrollment at a recognized law school with an emphasis on coursework in environmental law, rules, and regulations.
• Prefers working knowledge of federal and state environmental laws and regulations, including but not limited to the federal Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
• Prefers working knowledge of the nature and use of primary and secondary legal source materials and a working knowledge of the application of basic legal principles to individual cases or problems.
• Prefers the ability to develop skills and abilities in analyzing and organizing facts, evidence, and precedents and in presenting such material, in clear and logical form by written media.
• Prefers the ability to establish and maintain working relationships with agency staff and the general public.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires ability to pass a name based background check.
• Requires a valid and current appropriate driver’s license.
• Requires the ability to travel.

*The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.