CDC Internships and Externships in Public Health Law

Interested in learning how law can be used as a tool to protect and promote the public’s health?

Law has been critical in achieving public health goals and serves as the foundation for governmental public health practice in the United States. Many of public health's greatest successes, including high childhood immunization rates, improved motor vehicle safety, safer workplaces, and reduced tooth decay, are the result of legal interventions. Today, law plays an increasingly important role in addressing emerging public health threats such as childhood obesity, healthcare-associated infections, motor vehicle injuries, and prescription drug overdoses.

CDC Internships and Externships in Public Health Law consist of 9–14 weeks of professional work experience with CDC’s Public Health Law Program (PHLP) in Atlanta, Georgia.

With rolling start and completion dates during the academic year, unpaid internships or externships expose law students to the public health field and allows them to explore the critical role law plays in advancing public health goals. Externships must be for academic credit as authorized by law schools or schools of public health. Internships are not tied to academic credit.

The internships and externships create formalized entry-level experience for rising and current 3rd year law students who are interested in exploring careers in public health law. This opportunity might be particularly appealing to individuals who have conducted public health or other scientific research, worked with data sets and coding processes, and have a proven ability to work independently and follow projects through to completion.

PHLP is a dynamic group of public health lawyers and analysts who work to advance the use of law as a public health tool. PHLP provides services and resources such as technical assistance, publications, and workforce development to CDC programs and state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments.

The internship and externship programs feature

Work experience on one or more core projects with mentorship from a CDC PHLP staff attorney
Exposure to a complex, government work environment and a team of public health lawyers with diverse expertise
Involvement in work projects that impact the mission of PHLP and CDC
Opportunities to co-author published articles and other materials
Communication and mentorship with a dedicated preceptor throughout the externship experience
Active participation in weekly PHLP staff meetings
Opportunities to showcase experiences in an end-of-externship presentation

Only rising and current 3rd year law students will be considered for the internship and externship programs.

PHLP is now offering Internships and Externships in Tribal Public Health Law for rising third-year law students. PHLP maintains a core project track ontribal public health law, developing resources on both tribal and Indian law to support the use of law as a public health tool for tribes and American Indian and Alaska Native communities. As sovereign nations, tribes are uniquely situated to use law as a public health tool to promote the health and well-being of their communities. Federal law creates a framework that governs the relationships among tribes, states, and the federal government that can affect tribal public health.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to phlawprogram@cdc.gov. Students applying for an Internship or Externship in Tribal Public Health Law should indicate that in their email and cover letter. Applications are accepted via email only.

Deadlines: