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Posted: January 13, 2026 (2 days ago)

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Honor Law Graduate Program - Legal Intern GG-11/12 (FPL GG-14)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Fresh

Location

Salary

$111,087 - $119,485

per year

Type

Closes

February 3, 2026

Job Description

Summary

This job is a two-year entry-level program for promising new law graduates or recent judicial clerks to work as interns in the legal office of the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, rotating through different areas to learn about regulating nuclear energy and related laws.

It involves performing legal research, analysis, and writing on topics like environmental protection and government contracts.

A good fit would be a top-performing law student or early-career attorney excited about public service in nuclear regulation, with strong analytical and communication skills.

Key Requirements

  • J.D. or LL.M. degree from an ABA-accredited law school, or third-year law student graduating by June 2026
  • Upper 30% of law school class or GPA of at least 3.25/4.0
  • For GG-11: Less than one year of judicial clerk or attorney experience; for GG-12: At least one year of such experience
  • Specialized experience in areas like nuclear energy law, environmental law, regulatory law, or federal administrative procedure
  • Strong ability to perform legal analysis and communicate it orally and in writing, demonstrated by work, internships, or academics
  • Submission of an unedited legal writing sample
  • Admission to the Bar expected within the first year of employment (not required to apply)

Full Job Description

Each year, the NRC selects a small number of graduating law students or judicial law clerks to serve in the Office of the General Counsel's (OGC's) Honor Law Graduate Program (HLGP).

Established in 1972, the HLGP is the primary mechanism for hiring entry-level attorneys at the NRC.

As an Honor Law Graduate, you will serve in a two-year program consisting of rotational assignments through different OGC divisions in order to gain broad exposure to the diverse legal practice at the NRC.

In order to qualify for the Honor Law Graduate Program, you must meet the qualification criteria listed below.

Please read carefully to determinate the grade at which you would qualify based on your education and specialized experience: GG-11: A third-year law student (3L) at an American Bar Association accredited law school who will earn a J.D.

degree no later than June of the 2025-2026 academic year; or - a graduate of American Bar Association-accredited law school who will earn an LL.M.

degree no later than June of the 2025-2026 academic year; or- a J.D degree and current judicial law clerk or licensed attorney with less than one year of judicial law clerk or attorney experience within 30 days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement; and Be in at least the upper thirty percent (30%) of your law school class and/or have an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least a 3.25 based on a scale of 4.0.

NOTE: If your law school does not calculate class rank, and also does not provide traditional grades or a GPA, you should include a link to the school’s grading policy and should provide a narrative explanation of how your law school performance correlates with our requirements.

Specialized experience includes educational, academic, or work related experiences in nuclear energy law, NRC practice, environmental law, government contracts, employment law, labor relations, information law, federal administrative procedure, or regulatory law.

GG-12: a J.D. degree; or - an LL.M.

degree; and - a current judicial law clerk or licensed attorney with a minimum of one year of judicial law clerk experience or attorney experience within 30 calendar days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement; and Be in at least the upper thirty percent (30%) of your law school class and/or have an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 based on a scale of 4.0.

NOTE: If your law school does not calculate class rank, and also does not provide traditional grades or a GPA, you should include a link to the school’s grading policy and should provide a narrative explanation of how your law school performance correlates with our requirements.

Specialized experience includes educational, academic, or work related experiences in nuclear energy law, NRC practice, environmental law, government contracts, employment law, labor relations, information law, federal administrative procedure, or regulatory law.

Admission to the Bar is not a prerequisite to applying and being considered for the Honor Law Graduate Program, but is expected during the first year of NRC employment.

Recent law school graduates who join the NRC before Bar examination results are available will provide evidence of Bar membership as soon as possible after admission.

Selectees who are not admitted to the bar within 2 years may be separated from the NRC.

The ideal candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate the following: - Experience in nuclear energy law, NRC practice, environmental law, government contracts, employment law, labor relations, information law, federal administrative procedure, or regulatory law.

- Ability to perform legal analysis and communicate the results of that analysis orally and in writing (evidenced by relevant employment experience or internships, academic achievement, or extracurricular law school activities).

- Ability to perform legal analysis and communicate the results of that analysis in writing as evidence by an unedited writing sample. Major Duties:

  • The Honor Law Graduate Program allows you to collaborate with seasoned attorneys and work independently on a variety of assignments, such as the following: participating in administrative litigation involving activities and facilities licensed by the NRC reviewing environmental impact statements with technical staff drafting proposed regulations for new or revised safety standards assisting in the review and litigation of employment law matters, government contract matters, fiscal law, and security issues researching and preparing briefs for submission to the federal courts of appeals

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Posted on USAJOBS: 1/13/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/14/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: OGC-2026-0001