The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of General Counsel is seeking well-qualified applicants for Full-time and/or Part-time 2023 Spring Intern positions with the Oceans and Coasts Section in Silver Spring, MD. This is a great opportunity to work with a team of attorneys at a federal agency with authority over oceans, coastal zone management, and marine sanctuaries. NOAA is a premier environmental agency, which is located within the Department of Commerce, and employs over 12,000 individuals nationwide. The agency’s mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. For more information, please visit our website at www.noaa.gov. 

The Oceans and Coasts Section provides legal support to NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS). As one of NOAA’s principal line offices, NOS translates science, tools, and services into action, to provide science-based solutions through collaborative partnerships to address evolving economic, environmental, and social pressures on our oceans and coasts. NOS activities include partnering with states to promote restoration and sustainable development in coastal areas, overseeing the National Marine Sanctuary System, and developing nautical charts used for maritime navigation. For more information, please visit the website at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/.

Interns in the Oceans and Coasts Section work on an array of legal issues, and have the opportunity to collaborate with the scientists and policy-makers that the NOAA Office of the General Counsel supports. The Oceans and Coasts Section’s primary work includes legal review of agency regulations, analysis of proposed legislation, processing of administrative appeals, and formulation of legal opinions on issues related to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and other environmental statutes.  

For the Spring Internship, we are seeking current law students in their second or third year.

All interested students should send a copy of their Resume, Cover Letter, Writing Sample, and unofficial Transcript to Adam Dilts, Section Chief, at gcoceansandcoastssection@noaa.gov. The deadline to submit an application for the spring internship is September 30th. We will then begin to review applications and schedule interviews starting in October. 

Our Spring Interns will have the option to complete their internship remotely or in person at our office in the Washington, DC metro area. Please indicate in your cover letter whether you would prefer a remote internship or in-person internship, and whether you are interested in a part-time, or full-time, Spring internship.

Hiring will be conducted on a rolling-basis; we strongly encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible.