CUB Policy Center Opportunities

Eric Shaich was a passionate and committed supporter for the 1984 CUB campaign who eventually became a professional in the energy industry. In memorial to his service in the energy industry and his dedication to our organization, CUB worked with the Shaich family to develop an internship program that would create educational opportunities like the one Eric himself had with CUB.

Typically available to undergraduate students, the Shaich Memorial Internship provides opportunities for individuals to work with the CUB Policy Center on our research and policy issues. Shaich internships generally run 200 hours, and are developed for each individual to fit within the program framework of the CUB Policy Center. Shaich internships are open to application from individuals from throughout the country, but do require being present in Portland, Oregon for the duration of the internship to fulfill the in-office requirement.

For students seeking hands-on experience with CUB's work in the energy sector, we welcome interest in for-credit, unpaid internships with our organization. We develop each internship with the individual to make sure it meets the student's needs; time commitment for these projects will vary depending on the intern's projects. Students with an interest in energy, the environment, economics, business, and non-profit work are encouraged to consider interning with us to further their professional education.

CUB's Law Clerkship, a paid, full-time summer position held between May and August, was created in 2009 to connect legal students with the expertise and experience of working in energy and telecom law and utility regulation. CUB Law Clerks are supervised by our General Counsel, and work closely with CUB's Staff Attorneys, Economist, and Utility Analyst. Our Law Clerks are involved in every step of CUB's work before the Oregon Public Utility Commission. CUB offers its Law Clerks a variety of experiences, including, but not limited to:

• Regular attendance at hearings before the Oregon Public Utility Commission
• Regular attendance at meetings with Oregon's investor owned utilities
• Attendance at hearings before the Oregon State Legislature (when in session)
• Occasional attendance at BPA hearings, meetings
• Frequent utility law research
• Frequent drafting of data requests and motions
• Occasional drafting of proposed rule or legislative changes
• Occasional Bonneville Power Administration related research
• Occasional legislative history research

CUB's Law Clerks will be introduced to energy and telecom utility employees in upper levels of management, as well as to state representatives, senators, employees of the Public Utility Commission, Oregon Public Utility Commissioners, employees of other non-profits, private and public practice energy law attorneys, and more. At CUB, hands-on experience is a promise. In an environment that can change rapidly, our law clerks are involved in the day-in day-out events of the Citizens' Utility Board. Potential clerks should have a clear interest in the fields of energy and telecom law and be willing to dig right in. While interested candidates are welcome to submit an application, cover letter, resume, writing samples, and transcript at any time, formal applications for the Law Clerk position must be received by February 15th of each year to be considered for the summer opening. Please contact CUB's General Counsel, Catriona McCracken at 503-227-1984 x 16, or catriona[at]oregoncub[dot]org.

For students considering a course accredited experience with CUB, we offer externships with our organization on a case-by-case basis. Externships are an ideal choice for an individual with a particular interest in one or more of the organization's program areas. Examples include an economics student interested in renewable energy markets; a law student interested in garnering experience in energy law; or an urban planning student interested in electric vehicle development and deployment. Given that each externship must be tailored to the student's academic study in conjunction with their academic institution and CUB, interested students should request an informational interview to discuss the suitability of doing an externship with CUB.

For students considering completing their graduate study or capstone projects with CUB, we offer the opportunity to work within our program areas to meet the needs of such individual coursework. CUB is an ideal organization with which to develop graduate study, and utilizing our expertise and research can be a strong partnership for both the student and CUB. Examples of this experience include capstone projects for Public Administration students; policy research for legal, political science, or public policy students; or in-depth research and analysis for environmental science, justice, or policy students. Interested students should contact CUB for an informational interview to discuss a possible collaboration.

For individuals seeking professional experience in research, policy development, outreach, and education in the fields of energy and the environmental, fellowships are an ideal vehicle. These positions are varied in duration, and are frequently supported by an individual's stipend or volunteer time. CUB Fellows have conducted research into demand response technology, the efficacy of biomass, and the development of new renewable industries in Oregon. Projects are designed to fit the individual. CUB's Fellowship is an excellent opportunity to gain practical knowledge for the motivated professional.

In partnership with the Confluence Environmental Center, the CUB Policy Center offers a position with our organization to work in community outreach related to our program areas. For more information, please visit the Confluence Environmental Center. This position is an eleven month project of AmeriCorps service, and is opened annually in July/August each year. To check to see if the position is available, please check our openings page.