Franklin & Marshall College

Thanks to a generous gift from Robert Steinwurtzel, Esq., '75, P'16, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation ("CBF"), is offering one F&M student the opportunity this summer to work as a paid legal fellow in its Harrisburg, PA office.  Mr. Steinwurtzel's gift honors his friend and mentor, Grier Stephenson, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Government, who will serve on the College's selection committee along with Chris Williams, Associate Professor of Earth & Environment, and Laurie Baulig, Director of Legal Professions Advising.

Three finalists will be forwarded to CBF, which will choose the fellow. The legal fellow will be part of CBF's Environmental Protection and Restoration Program, which includes lawyers, scientists, planners, grassroots, and communications staff who work on a wide spectrum of Bay-related issues, including water and air quality, point and non-point source pollution, land use and conservation, growth management, transportation, wetlands protection, and fisheries management.

If you are interested in applying for the fellowship, please send a cover letter, resume and writing sample (no more than 10 pages) to Professor Baulig, , no later than Monday, April 15, 2013.  All majors are encouraged to apply.

Description

Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. (CBF) the Mid-Atlantic's largest regional non-profit conservation organization working solely to save the Bay, seeks a legal fellow for its Pennsylvania State Office located in Harrisburg, PA.

CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION

CBF has a staff of approximately 170 employees working in offices in Annapolis and Salisbury, Maryland; Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C., and in 15 field education program locations. CBF's headquarters is in the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, a “cutting edge,” environmentally responsible building located in Annapolis, Maryland. Its Harrisburg office is located in the heart of downtown, overlooking the Susquehanna River with easy access to the Capitol.

CBF has an annual budget of approximately $21 million and is supported by more than 200,000 members, volunteers, and other supporters. For more information on CBF’s mission and activities, please visit www.cbf.org.

CONTEXT OF THE POSITION

The legal fellow would be part of CBF’s Environmental Protection and Restoration Program (EPR) which includes lawyers, scientists, planners, grassroots, and communications staff who work on wide spectrum of Bay-related issues, including water and air quality, point and non-point source pollution, land use and conservation, growth management, transportation, wetlands protection, and fisheries management. The fellow would support EPR’s advocacy to enforce existing laws and to develop more effective regulatory programs through participation in local, state, and federal regulatory initiatives, legislative work before the Pennsylvania General Assembly, public policy work,  and many other CBF-specific initiatives to protect and enhance water quality in the Bay and its tidal tributaries.

The legal fellow at the Pennsylvania State office may be expected to travel within the watershed and to attend at least one of CBF’s educational field trips (canoeing, work boat, skipjack, etc.) for a direct experience with the natural resources CBF strives to protect.

The legal fellow is expected to have the opportunity to participate in some or all of the following:

• Help to prepare policy positions and presentations, craft proposed legislation, and monitor legislative study committees
• Work with staff to investigate and critique implementation of state laws and regulations
• Engage in research into public policy initiatives and engage in comparative analysis and critical thinking
• Work with other staff to experience “on-the-ground” environmental activities (e.g., delineation of foreign or invasive wetland plants, tour of industrial facilities)
• Conduct legal research on a broad range of environmental issues
• Help with management of legal projects (e.g., conservation easement negotiation and drafting; permit reviews)
   

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

The Pennsylvania State office is currently seeking a legal fellow for a period of up  to 12 weeks.  The length of the internship, and whether the position is full time or part time, will depend on CBF’s specific needs.  Candidates should have excellent writing skills, ability to think critically, ability to work independently and collaboratively, and an interest in public interest and policy work.  Please submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample.