NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C.

We are looking for graduate interns who can commit working full-time for up to 10-weeks in Summer 2026 at one of NRDC’s US-based offices (Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Santa Monica, or Washington, D.C.)

Our interns play an active role on the front lines of the environmental movement. Over the course of an internship, NRDC interns work with lawyers, scientists, or policy analysts in different program areas and amass experience that they could not have obtained anywhere else. Interns also have access to various events to enhance their NRDC experience.

NRDC graduate interns may support or work on:

• Conducting literature reviews on relevant policy topics
• Drafting initial outlines or talking points for advocacy campaigns
• Conducting research on relevant laws, regulations, and case precedents to support legal opinions
• Researching best practices and case studies on equity-focused policies
• Tracking timelines and deliverables for projects, using project management tools like Asana
• Creating reports or dashboards for department heads and/or leaders, using tools like Excel or Power BI

You can find examples of work by our interns on our Careers Page.

• Must be currently enrolled in a graduate program
• Interest in a wide range of environmental and social justice issues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Creative and resourceful
• Able to work independently and collaboratively, including working with people with different social identities than their own (including race, gender, sexual identity or orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and disability)
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles

Details

• Duration: 10-weeks | Commitment: 35 hours/week
  • Summer Session 1: Monday May 11, 2026 – Friday July 17, 2026
  • Summer Session 2: Monday June 8, 2026 – Friday August 14, 2026
  • Summer Session 3: Monday June 22, 2026 – Friday August 28, 2026
• Stipend: This is a paid internship with a stipend equivalent of $10,000.00 paid bi-weekly over the course of the assignment.
• Departments:
  • Advocacy: Center for Campaigns & Organizing, Climate & Energy, Communications (Marketing), Environment Equity & Justice Center, Environmental Health, Green Finance & Economic Development, International, Nature, Science Office
  • Institutional: Development (Fundraising & Donor Relations), Office of General Counsel, People (Human Resources), Office of Diversity Equity & Inclusion
  • Operations: Finance, Information Technology, Workplace Strategy (Facilities & Office Culture/Engagement)
• This opportunity provides: mentorship, network-building opportunities, professional development, future career development, skill building

Our Litigation department posts internships for 1L and 2L candidates interested in working with that department separately. You can find more information about our legal internship opportunities with Litigation here.

If you are interested in applying to join our advocacy or institutional departments as a legal student, we encourage you to do so!

How to Apply

Please apply via the 'Apply for this job online’ link at the top of the job description on our Careers Page. In your application please include:

• A resume
• A cover letter that highlights your interest in working at NRDC and:
  • which summer sessions you can join, and
  • which department(s) you are interested in joining

Our Talent Acquisition team is committed to reviewing each application received. To keep application reviews by our team equitable, we will only accept applications submitted via iCIMS that include the documents asked for above. Any applications that do not contain the materials above will not be considered complete. Please, no phone calls, emails, or in-person application drop-offs.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

The incumbent will not qualify as an employee, fellow, volunteer, or independent contractor of NRDC, nor will the incumbent be guaranteed employment at the end of the internship term.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come into the office 8 days per month.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination. Those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions. NRDC treats all vaccination-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.