Howard-NRDC Environmental Justice Legal Fellow

Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Bozeman, Montana; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C.

NRDC is seeking a recent graduate of Howard University School of Law to work with the Environment, Equity & Justice Center, as an Environmental Justice Legal Fellow: this entails a two-year legal fellowship starting in Fall 2024 and ending in Fall 2026, with the possibility of extension for a third year through Fall 2027. We will consider applicants who have graduated since 2021, including those who will graduate in Spring 2024. The Fellow will be based in our New York office. This posting will be open until November 1 . Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so we encourage applicants to apply soon.

Position Summary
The Environment, Equity & Justice Center (EEJC) is a team of approximately 20 lawyers, policy advocates, scientists, program assistants, and other staff within NRDC who work to address the persistent and connected threats of environmental inequality, racial injustice, and socioeconomic insecurity. Our work is rooted in partnerships with frontline groups to advance community-driven solutions, to help build power in communities most harmed by inequities, and to push for long-lasting change. Ultimately, our work aims to foster a stronger, more equitable environmental movement, and a more just world.

In collaboration with members of the EEJC, the NRDC-Howard Environmental Justice Legal Fellow will use a range of legal, policy advocacy, coalition-building, community outreach, and/or communications tools to collaborate with and provide legal support for environmental justice communities, primarily in the northeast United States. Examples of specific focus areas could include, but are not limited to, (1) advancing political and litigation strategies to improve air quality and public health outcomes for communities impacted by nearby industrial facilities; (2) engaging in legal and policy advocacy to protect communities from the potential harms connected with ill-devised proposals to develop hydrogen in ways that would increase local pollution and perpetuate reliance on fossil fuels; (3) advancing local land use and zoning policies that combat the concentration of environmental burdens in EJ communities; and/or (4) leveraging legal support, funding and other resources to help communities identify and combat toxic chemical (including pesticide) contamination.

Responsibilities

Successful candidates will demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental justice and the ability to contribute effectively as a member of a team. Specific responsibilities include:

• Developing relationships with communities and working with them to identify opportunities to partner or collaborate, and engaging actively in existing coalitions and partnerships;
• Screening and developing potential new litigation, including conducting factual investigations and legal and policy research;
• Providing legal and policy research and strategic advice around environmental justice issues to members of the team and to partners;
• Communicating with clients and partner organizations;
• Collaborating as part of a team of attorneys, policy advocates, and scientists to support environmental justice goals;
• Representing NRDC at hearings, conferences, coalition meetings, and venues with decisionmakers;
• Advocating for the adoption or passage of critical legislation, city ordinances, and government regulations;
• Writing briefs, motions, and memoranda;
• Supervising and delegating projects to interns and volunteers, when appropriate; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

This Fellowship is designed for recent graduates of Howard University School of Law. In assessing candidates, we look for:

• Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law within the past three years (from 2021 to Spring 2024;
• Admission to the New York State Bar, or willingness to complete the requirements for admission to that Bar;
• Experience working with coalitions of community members and community-based organizations;
• Strong legal writing and analytical skills;
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Experience working effectively with a team;
• Demonstrated competency in working with people with different social identities than their own (including race, gender, sexual identity or orientation, age, class, and disability);
• Creativity and resourcefulness;
• Demonstrated commitment to public service, equity, or social justice (including environmental, economic, social, or food justice);
• Commitment to NRDC’s values and mission; and
• Knowledge of environmental, civil rights, and administrative law is a plus.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $87,000 to $93,000.

Our offices are open, and we are operating in a hybrid model. We offer NRDCers flexibility, and we ask them to come into the office and spend meaningful time there in collaboration with their colleagues. We call this purposeful presence.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.

Keywords

Environmental JusticeLegal FellowNRDCEnvironmental InequalityRacial InjusticeSocioeconomic InsecurityLegal SupportCommunity OutreachPolicy AdvocacyCoalition-BuildingEnvironmental BurdensToxic Chemical Contamination