Megan Erb, J.D. ’08
Equal Opportunity Employment Commission
Washington, DC

My summer at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in summer 2007 was not the typical 2L summer job. Instead of being wined and dined at a law firm, I worked for the federal government. The EEOC is a federal agency charged with advocating for employee rights.  It is the reporting agency that employees come to if they feel they have been discriminated against. It investigates claims and takes some of the cases to trial, while settling others between the employee and employer. The EEOC is also an advisory body for employers, setting guidelines and defining best employment practices. The agency had a total of 40 legal interns, and I worked in the Office of Legal Counsel. My goal for this summer was to gain experience doing public policy work. I did a lot of research, wrote several memos, and revised a few of the EEOC “Best Practices” Guidelines. Three important labor and employment cases came down over the summer and a big part of my job was to draft memoranda in response to the recent litigation under both Title VII and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. 

The best days of the summer were the days I worked as the “Attorney of the Day.” Twice a week, it was my responsibility to provide information and recommendations to employers and employees who called the EEOC asking for help. It was the epitome of a “sink or swim” job and my advising attorney was only there to make sure I did not actually drown.

Some of the employee callers had legitimate work problems and sincerely needed help. For these employees, I explained their rights and gave them as much information as possible regarding who to contact, what laws applied, and whether they were protected.

Other employee callers were people who were calling only to vent their frustrations and concerns. It was impossible to help these people, so the best I could do was listen, assuring them that the EEOC was doing the best it could, and advising them on ways to move on past the discriminatory acts against them. 

The most interesting callers were the employers who were concerned about their company policies and potential liabilities to employees. Employers can be attacked from every angle and must be careful in what they say and how they treat employees. Problems ranged from ill employees, to scandals among supervisors and subordinates, to merger issues. General Counsel Attorneys for private corporations relied on agencies like the EEOC to avoid potential lawsuits. The most difficult calls were from judges, who asked for interpretations of statutes or EEOC Guidelines. These calls were difficult for me to answer, and I often sought the advice of senior attorneys rather than tackle these problems myself. 

Overall, it was a great summer. The interns and I created our own fun and took full advantage of living in such a fabulous city. I would highly recommend doing something different for your summer job and working for a federal agency. 

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