If Rinum was referring to a traditional offer letter, I don't think he would've suggested getting a binding description "with what happens if they don't hire you". The idea that an offer letter to an intern might include such a section is so far-fetched as to be unhelpful.
In many states, explicitly agreeing on consideration in the case of rescindment isn't required for a claim.
In contract law, there's a doctrine called "promissory estoppel" (see http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/promissory_estoppel) that basically says, "if somebody promises you X, and as a reasonable result of that promise, you do Y, and Y is very bad for you if promise X is revoked, you can sue for damages." The OP's case is a classic example where promissory estoppel can be applied.
Good to know... and also another way in which the premise of Rinum's suggestion – that it would be either possible or necessary for the OP to have gotten the rescindment details in writing – was off.
I agree with you. I'm saying that unless you're negotiating for the job of "EVP Sales North America" or "Chief Operating Officer", no contract at any level of employment from intern through janitor to engineering manager is going to insulate you from the employer's right to change their mind. As I'm sure you know, the right for employers to change their mind is one of the fundamental features of the US labor market.
