For over 20 years, CIEL has trained more than 350 Interns from 53 countries. During 2010, CIEL hosted
25 interns from around the world, including Jamaica,
Chile, Turkey, Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom,
as well as a Louis B. Sohn Fellow from Nepal.
Your financial support helps make it possible for CIEL to continue to educate and train public-interest-minded environmental lawyers in the field of international environmental law.
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About My Internship Experience at CIEL
"I learned as much at CIEL in one summer as I did in an entire semester of law school! The projects were enriching and varied, and I really discovered the role that NGOs and civil society play in the political and legal process."
- Paula Kweskin, Summer 2009
Legal Researcher, NGO Monitor (Jerusalem, Israel)
The Center for International Environmental Law's intern/extern/fellowship program offers lawyers, law students and other exceptionally motivated students and graduates excellent opportunities to gain experience in the field of international environmental law. Externs work full or part-time during the school year, usually receiving credit from their schools. Summer interns typically work full-time during the summer months. Fellows serve full-time for varied terms. Due to limited resources, internships, externships and fellowships are unpaid. We do not consider undergraduates for legal internships.
Responsibilities of an intern or fellow include researching and writing about areas of international law and policy; assisting with policy analysis and advocacy; attending meetings and conferences; assisting with the production of CIEL publications; and otherwise working closely with CIEL staff on various projects.
Successful applicants generally possess excellent research and writing skills and a strong dedication to public interest law. CIEL actively seeks applicants with diverse backgrounds.
To apply for internships or fellowships in Washington, D.C., please send a cover letter, resume, and short writing sample to info@ciel.org, or mail them to:
Center for International Environmental Law
Attention Intern Coordinator
1350 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 1100
Washington, D.C. 20036
We accept applications on a rolling basis for Fall, Spring and Summer Internships. Please state your desired time period in your application.
CIEL offers one special fellowship each year, the Louis B. Sohn Fellowship in Human Rights and Environment, for public interest lawyers that have had significant on the ground experience working on human rights issues. CIEL also is offering a Loreto Internship for both graduates and undergraduates.
To receive CIEL's monthy newletter, click here.
“CIEL certainly had a full
stable of highly talented environmental
lawyers and activists.
Working with CIEL
prepared me to work for
the NAFTA Commission for
Environmental Cooperation
and I look back on that
year of work with very fond
memories.
It’s interesting-
-so many top leaders came
through the doors of CIEL,
from Greenpeace, academia, to industry and the best
law firms. CIEL touched a lot of people who in turn have
done great things for the environment all over the world
.”
- Timothy T. Jones, Former Law Fellow, 1995 Environmental Attorney

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