Summer Honors Internship
The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) at Vermont Law School is currently seeking law students for our summer honors intern program from May 31 to August 5, 2022. Interns will receive a $5,000 stipend to work full-time with CAFS. This is a remote opportunity.
Interns will work alongside CAFS faculty and staff on a wide range of projects. In past summers, interns have worked on projects related to farmland access and equity; food labeling and regulation of novel food products; legal barriers facing food hubs; laws and regulations that protect the health and safety of farmworkers; legal resources for farmers markets; and biodiversity and agriculture. They have worked alongside project partners from Agrarian Trust, Farmers Market Coalition, and the Farm Bill Law Enterprise, among others. Tasks are dependent on project needs and may include legal research, drafting law and policy documents, conducting original research in the form of interviews and surveys, drafting case studies, and providing general support.
Vermont Law School’s Summer Session draws visiting faculty and lecturers from around the country and the world. Interns will have the opportunity to attend the summer lecture series and to meet with scholars and food system practitioners in small groups.
Qualifications: A background in food and agriculture law and policy, public health policy, environmental law and policy, and/or land use policy is preferred; strong research and writing skills are required. Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel) is required for the position; other skills (such as graphic design, web development, or GIS) are a bonus.
To apply, please submit as a single PDF a cover letter, resume, list of three references, academic writing sample of no more than 5 pages, and unofficial academic transcript to Claire Child at cchild@vermontlaw.edu, using the subject line “CAFS summer honors internship application.” The application deadline is January 14, 2022.
CAFS believes a diverse and inclusive workplace is essential to the success of our organization, and we strive to create a safe and supportive environment that encourages racial and social equity. We strongly encourage applicants from all walks of life, including but not limited to BIPOC/people of color, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ candidates, and members of other marginalized communities, because we know that our work has greater impact when we center diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Meet the 2021 Summer Honors Interns
August 16, 2021
Five law students from across the country joined the team at Vermont Law School's Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) as Honors Interns last summer. Read more »
Food and Agriculture LLM Fellowship
*This position is currently filled; check back in spring 2022 or subscribe to our e-newsletter to learn about our next fellowship opening.
CAFS is now inviting eligible candidates with a JD degree to apply for a two-year fellowship from August 2021 through July 2023. The fellowship combines the opportunity to pursue an LLM degree in Food and Agricultural Law from one of the leading environmental law programs in the nation with the opportunity to work on food and agricultural law projects alongside experienced environmental, agricultural, and food law practitioners and students. The fellow will receive a tuition waiver for our LLM in Food and Agriculture degree as well as a $35,000 annual stipend.
In addition to pursuing an LLM degree, the fellow will work part-time (at least 20 hours per week) in CAFS’ Food and Agriculture Clinic, one of a handful of law school clinics that focuses exclusively on the legal and policy needs of the food system. The fellow will work closely with CAFS faculty and staff, partners, clients, and students. The fellow’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- Working on CAFS projects to develop law and policy tools. Areas of research may include food justice and equity; farmland access; farmworkers' rights; protecting communities from the harmful effects of CAFOs and industrial agriculture; food labeling and regulation of novel food products; legal resources for farmers markets; food safety regulations for produce farms; and biodiversity and agriculture.
- Providing transactional/business law services to Vermont farmers, food entrepreneurs, and related organizations.
- Developing and leading Food and Agriculture Clinic seminars and project rounds, under the guidance of the Clinic Director.
- Working with and supervising student clinicians.
- Engaging in outreach to the broader food system community, including representing CAFS’ work at trainings and events.
CAFS believes a diverse and inclusive workplace is essential to the success of our organization, and we strive to create a safe and supportive environment that encourages racial and social equity. We strongly encourage applicants from all walks of life, including but not limited to BIPOC/people of color, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ candidates, and members of other marginalized communities, because we know that our work has greater impact when we center diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
See here for more information and application instructions.
Meet Former LLM Fellows
"The Food and Agriculture LLM fellowship is an exceptional dual opportunity to receive a graduate degree and practical work experience at the same time. The program also offers an array of courses, and the fellow is able to tailor their graduate experience to their career aspirations, of course with great guidance from the faculty at CAFS." - Esther Akwii LLM'20, clinical fellow, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic. Read more »
"My experience at VLS allowed me to hit the ground running at FDA so that I could begin serving the public interest from day one on the job. My fellow students and colleagues were as committed and passionate as I was about the food system and environmental issues, which made for even richer learning." - Carrie Scrufari LLM'16, associate chief counsel, Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Read more »