Legal Intern

About RF:

ReliabilityFirst Corporation is a regulator focused on the reliability and security of the electric grid. ReliabilityFirst’s mission is to preserve and enhance the reliability, security, and resilience of the Bulk Power System across 13 states and the District of Columbia. ReliabilityFirst is uniquely positioned to work closely with transmission, generation, and other power companies as well as the federal government to help identify and ensure the mitigation of operational risks and physical and cyber security threats to the electric grid.

Purpose of Position:

The Legal Intern will be responsible for supporting attorneys in the Legal & Enforcement Department of ReliabilityFirst Corporation. Under the supervision of licensed attorneys, you will create work product related to regulatory compliance enforcement of NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) Reliability Standards and in-house and corporate legal matters such as nondisclosure agreements, vendor contract review, or employment law questions. It is also desirable for this position to work alongside interns in data analytics, human resources, communications, and state outreach and will have additional opportunities for networking and growth.

Key Responsibilities:

This internship provides an opportunity for law students to gain both in-house legal department experience and experience being a part of a regulatory body entrusted with enforcing cases of noncompliance. For those with an interest in the compliance and regulatory space, this should provide opportunity to both assess internal compliance with regulations and also review the compliance of other entities from the eyes of the regulator. Below is a non-exclusive group of projects an intern can expect to be engaged in.

Legal

• Provide legal research and analysis into various legal issues, including matters of first impression and internal legal questions, confronting ReliabilityFirst.
• Research relevant FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) Orders and NERC Bulletins; review federal and state laws including state privacy laws or Delaware General Corporate Law.
• Perform work to support board governance and corporate policy and procedures.
• Review and redline contract agreements for multiple departments including information technology, security, human resources and corporate events.

Enforcement

• Support Compliance Staff in reviews/audits/investigations of ReliabilityFirst entities where legal consult or intervention may be appropriate.
• Gather facts and evidence related to compliance enforcement cases. Synthesize technical documents and legal concepts to develop a case and identify the appropriate penalty/sanctions relative to enforcement actions.
• Ensure enforcement actions adhere to and respect all due process protections of the registered entity from violation identification to final violation resolution.
• Provide legal assessment and analysis in support of the Enforcement decision making process, including, but not limited to, providing sound recommendations.

Qualifications:

• 2L Juris Doctor candidate at an accredited law school.
• 3.25 minimum GPA required.
• Class ranking in top 50% preferred.

ReliabilityFirst is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and applicants in accordance with local and federal laws. ReliabilityFirst's mission is to preserve and enhance bulk power system reliability and security. This mission cannot be accomplished without a diverse and inclusive staff - one that at all levels feels empowered, valued, respected, and engaged.

Learn more at: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at RF (rfirst.org)

Job Type: Internship

Schedule:

• Day shift

Ability to Relocate:

• Independence, OH 44131: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Independence, OH 44131