Spring 2024 Legal Externship – Sustainable Food & Farming Program

Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food & Farming Program is accepting applications for 1-2 full- or part-time legal extern(s) for spring 2024. We are seeking current law students who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment, and who are eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship. The successful candidate(s) may work remotely or on a hybrid schedule from one of Earthjustice’s offices.

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 in 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.

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, the legal extern will:

• 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:

• Enrolled in law school as a 2L or 3L during spring 2024.
• Must be eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship.
• Demonstrated commitment to environmental protection or 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.
• Full-time externs must commit 37.5 hours/week and part-time externs must commit 15-20 hours per week.

Compensation:

Externs are unpaid and must receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement for their work with Earthjustice.

To Apply: 
Interested candidates should submit the following materials by August 9, 2023 via Jobvite. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed beginning August 10 with offers extended no later than October 27.

• Resume.
• Cover letter – In one page, please address (i) why you want to work with Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food & Farming Program; (ii) whether you are able to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement for your work with Earthjustice; (iii) the number of hours, or a reasonable estimate, you are available to work per week; (iv) an estimate number of weeks you are available to work; (v) any relevant coursework taken, including administrative and environmental law; (vi) any information about yourself that is not apparent or fully explained in your resume; and (vii) an indication of any applicable deadlines or requirements that are relevant to your submission or ability to accept an offer.
• Additional Documents (select “Add Files” in Jobvite): Recent writing sample, preferably a legal brief or memorandum of no more than 10 pages that primarily reflects your work.
• Finalists will be asked to submit 2 references, including one law professor and one legal employer.

Please note that this job posting is for a legal externship and does not cover summer positions; there is a separate application process for applicants interested in summer law clerkships with Earthjustice. Additional information about our hiring process and tips for success can be found at https://earthjustice.org/about/jobs/hiring-process.

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.