Spring 2023 Legal Internship – Sustainable Food & Farming Program

Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food & Farming Program is accepting applications for one full- or part-time legal intern for spring 2023. We are seeking current 2Ls and 3Ls who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. This is a paid position. This is a remote role, but the successful candidate may have the opportunity to visit the Earthjustice office nearest them.

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to advance clean energy, and combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, supporters, individuals, and communities to engage the critical environmental issues of our time and bring about positive change. We are guided by a passionate, ambitious vision for the future for people and our planet: until justice stands for all, we will never rest. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Juneau, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Tallahassee, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

The Sustainable Food and Farming Program, within the Healthy Communities Department, engages in litigation and advocacy to improve our nation’s food system, from crop selection and farming practices to food processing and sustainability. Working in partnership with communities, advocacy groups, scientists, and others, we fight for safe and healthy food, climate-friendly farming, reduced reliance on dangerous pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and animal farms—not animal factories. We take on cases with regional and national scope.

Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of an attorney:

• Assist with case investigation and legal research.
• Prepare memoranda and contribute to legal documents for administrative and judicial proceedings.
• Join strategy sessions and present research findings to attorneys, scientists, professional staff, and clients.

Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in law school as a 2L or 3L.
• Demonstrated commitment to environmental protection and environmental justice.
• Excellent research, analytic and writing skills.
• Strong work ethic.
• Initiative, creative thinking and the ability to work collegially with others.
• Familiarity with environmental and administrative law preferred.
• Commitment of 12-20 hours per week, if part-time.
• Commitment of 37.5 hours per week, if full-time.

Compensation:

Internships at Earthjustice include a stipend. The total stipend amount will be calculated when the length of the internship is determined.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should submit the following materials by September 25, 2022 via Jobvite. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

• Resume.
• Cover letter – In one page, address why you want to work for the Sustainable Food & Farming Program, in particular, and any information about yourself that is not apparent or fully explained in your resume. Please note if you are interested in part-time or full-time work hours and specify the number of hours, or a reasonable estimate, you will be able to work each week; and indicate any applicable deadlines or requirements that are relevant to your submission or ability to accept an offer.
• Recent writing sample, preferably a legal brief or memorandum of no more than 10 pages that primarily reflects your work.
• Unofficial law school transcript.
• List of 2-3 references, including at least one law professor or legal employer.

Please note that this job posting for a legal internship does NOT cover spring externship or summer positions; there is a separate application process for applicants interested in these positions at Earthjustice.

Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies. Earthjustice only considers applications submitted for current openings via Jobvite. Unsolicited resumes or resumes for posted positions that are not submitted via Jobvite will not be reviewed or retained.

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position.

For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

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