Regulatory Utilities Intern

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About Us

The NC Department of Administration is the business manager for North Carolina state government. The department oversees Government Operations such as building construction, purchasing and contracting for goods and services, maintaining facilities, managing state vehicles, acquiring and disposing of real property, and operating auxiliary services such as courier mail delivery and the sale of state and federal surplus property. Additionally, the department manages many of the state's advocacy programs that provide assistance and services to diverse segments of the state's population that have been traditionally underserved.

Description of Work

Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences

Agency: Commerce

Division: Public Staff- Legal

Job Duties:  The Public Staff (the consumer advocate for utility consumers) seeks a law student intern for summer 2026 who is interested in advocating for consumers in public utility matters. The intern will have the opportunity to work on electric utility rate cases; carbon emission reduction and integrated resource planning; applications to build new electric generating plants; annual electric utility riders to recover the costs associated with energy efficiency, fuel, competitive procurement of renewable energy, and the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards; and a transfer of the largest water/sewer utility in North Carolina. The intern will work alongside supervising attorneys as part of interdisciplinary task forces along with engineers, accountants, and economists to review utility filings, conduct discovery, draft motions and proposed orders, review expert witness testimony, prepare expert witnesses for cross examination and Commission questions, and more.

Major Task to be Performed:  Assisting with leadership of task force management; drafting motions and proposed orders; editing expert testimony and comments; reviewing utility filings; assisting with the discovery process; conducting legal research on discrete issues; and assisting with preparation for hearings before the NC Utilities Commission.

Final Product or Outcome Anticipated: The intern will develop knowledge of the utility regulatory framework and will gain experience in various aspects of investigation, project leadership, and litigation. 

Academic Majors Desired:  Law Student (any student who has completed their first year of law school).

2026 State of North Carolina Internship Period: Monday, May 18 – Friday, July 24, 2026

Legal research and writing, strong analytical and communication skills, and attention to detail.

• An applicant must be a permanent North Carolina resident attending a college, university, law school, community college or technical institute in North Carolina or a North Carolina resident attending an equivalent institution out of state. 
• Applicants must carry a 2.5 or greater overall grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
• Applicant must be a high school graduate and at least 18 years old by January 1, 2026.
• Applicants must be continuing their education in the fall following their participation in the program.
• To qualify for a law internship, applicants must have completed at least one year of law school before the beginning of the internship, unless other majors are listed.
• Students having previously held paid internships with this program are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must be willing and able to work full-time for the entire 10-week internship. Applicants must be able to provide legal proof of identity and work authorization within three working days of employment.

This position will close at 11:59 p.m. the night before the end date.

Minimum Education and Experience

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.

EEO Statement

The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

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