WCL Students Visit the Federal Environmental Regulation Commission
On Tuesday March 26, The Federal Environmental Regulation Commission (FERC) hosted students from the Program on Environmental and Energy Law at the American University Washington College of Law (WCL). The students were greeted by a panel of 4 alumni from WCL whose careers have been significantly shaped by the agency.
FERC is an independent federal agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. They regulate over 1,800 owners, operators, and users of bulk-power systems, made up of over 200,000 transmission miles of lines powering our nation’s energy supply. FERC is also investing in the development of renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Due to the expansive mission of the agency, it employs a wide range of professionals from engineers, environmental scientists, economists, policy experts, and attorneys.
Why work at FERC? “The people,” said the alumni. Unlike at private firms or other public offices, FERC’s approach is open, collaborative, and multidisciplinary. Due to the variety of topics that the Commission works on, WCL alumni said that one of the other things that they like most about working for the agency is that day-to-day life within FERC is exciting, variable, and allows them to have different experiences to become multifaceted experts. Teams are made up of specialists from different disciplines, where knowledge sharing is the norm to achieve the mission.
There are many opportunities to work at FERC after a law or master’s program. The agency has a track record of hiring previous interns, and has one of the highest percentages of employees under the age of 30 on average compared to other federal agencies, and employees have an accelerated trajectory for firsthand experience: JD grads reported that they got experience in court within their first year at the agency. Some of the ways into the agency are:
- Pathways internships announced on usajobs.gov – Paid internships for students
- Summer intern programs – paid internships for students, designed to help students bridge the gap between academic achievements and the first experience in a corporate office environment.
- Student Temporary Assistant Resource Services (STARS) Program – opportunities for students to network and provide temporary administrative support the Commission.
- The Student Volunteer Internship Program – unpaid opportunities to intern and network within the agency.
- Legal Intern Program – paid opportunities for law students to provide assistance on special research projects, and work closely with one or more judges and their law clerks.
- Law Clerkship – paid two-year opportunities for law students to closely with the judge in drafting orders and decisions on complex issues in energy law.
This sponsored visit demonstrates the power of the AU/WCL network. Alumni connecting with current students to support their career development and growth is just one of the ways that Eagles foster success.
