Category: Uncategorized

NC Department of Justice, Environmental Division – Raleigh, North Carolina

I enjoyed tackling environmental issues at the state level. My summer exposed me to a large swath of environmental and administrative law while also giving me small tastes of other areas of the law, including criminal appellate work. Surprisingly, I also spent much of my summer doing more litigation-based work. Though this isn’t always the nature of the Coastal, Commissions, and Administrative section, it was certainly the nature of the work during the summer I interned with this section of the NC DOJ Environmental Division.

Working for the NC DOJ allowed me to interact with public and private sector actors on a variety of topics, including environmental impact statements, civil penalties for environmental permit violations, criminal appeals cases, hog waste concerns, environmental commission questions, etc. I learned from attorneys who worked in the private sector representing corporate clients, I learned from attorneys in the public sector who work at nonprofit organizations like SELC, I learned from policy advocates in the Department of Environmental Quality, and I learned from industry experts who sit on the various environmental commissions and committees the NC DOJ Environmental Division represents.

I also found it rewarding and inspiring to be surrounded by intelligent, dedicated professionals who had chosen to forgo the financial incentives of the private sector in order to work for the state tackling public interest environmental issues. It was refreshing to be around a group of ethically-driven colleagues who were supportive of my own endeavors in public interest environmental law. It was also reassuring to see that most folks in the office were able to turn off their computers around 5 or 6 p.m. and leave their work life at work. My mentors seemed grounded and happy to work at the NC DOJ.

I’ll acknowledge, as someone who wants to do public interest environmental law, I more often envision myself working for a nonprofit than for a state or federal entity. There were certainly times when I felt like the state could have taken a more aggressive position on a certain issue or felt like the bureaucratic machinery prevented a more reasoned approach to a pressing environmental concern. However, as a summer clerk for the Department, these small moments of frustration were also huge opportunities for insight. I got to interact with actors from across the board, I got to see the inner workings of state-level environmental law, and I got to appreciate how these frustrations were inherent and important in a system that balances business interests with progressive ideals.

Overall, I had a great summer filled with variety, appreciation, and mentorship.

Submitted October 15, 2018