Legal Fellow (Climate Resilience & Environmental Justice Project)

at  EarthRights International

Position Title: Legal Fellow (Climate Resilience & Environmental Justice Project)
Department: U.S. Legal
Location: Washington, D.C.
Application Deadline: Until filled
Start Date: As soon as possible
Reports to: Climate Justice Attorney
Years of Relevant Experience: 0-3 years
Annual Salary: $68,000
Work authorization: United States (required)
EarthRights International, a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that combines the power of law and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment, is seeking a recent J.D. graduate to join our U.S. Climate Resilience & Environmental Justice Project for a one-year fellowship beginning in January 2025 or as soon as possible.
For over two decades, EarthRights has worked alongside marginalized communities globally to use innovative legal strategies to hold entities accountable for disregarding human rights and the environment. Our expertise is in supporting community struggles against powerful entities, aligning litigation strategies with community accountability goals to shift power dynamics and challenge systems of impunity.
EarthRights recently launched the U.S. Climate Resilience & Environmental Justice Project (CREJP) to support marginalized communities on the frontlines of climate change and environmental harms to build resilience and hold government, companies, and financial institutions accountable. Currently, we are working with Black and Indigenous communities across the U.S. facing climate-forced displacement, toxic industrial pollution, lack of water access, and other vulnerabilities. An expansive range of legal and advocacy tools are available to advance community resilience, from corporate accountability to environmental protection to civil rights, and more. We work closely with our community partners to identify and use appropriate tools – including litigation, non-judicial mechanisms, campaigning, policy advocacy, and media strategies – to achieve their goals.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• A background or experience in environmental law, civil rights law, corporate accountability, and/or Indigenous peoples’ rights
• Experience working with environmental justice communities, Indigenous communities, or grassroots organizations
• Experience with U.S. litigation
• Knowledge and experience with regional and international legal mechanisms for the protection of human rights and the environment
• Strong research and writing skills
• Proficiency in Spanish
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in teams and coalitions

• Develop and assist with litigating cases to expand EarthRights’ U.S. legal work on climate resilience and environmental justice
• Conduct rigorous legal and factual research to build new cases in collaboration with frontline communities and partner organizations
• Prepare legal memorandums, court briefs, and filings for U.S. and other legal systems.
• Build and maintain relationships with frontline communities and community-facing organizations, including through regular travel to priority geographic regions to document climate and environmental harms and evaluate legal and advocacy needs
• Support discovery activities including propounding discovery, document review, and depositions
• Represent EarthRights and our clients in court appearances, hearings, negotiations, public meetings, workshops, and other processes
• Conduct policy advocacy with the U.S. legislative and executive branches.
• Collaborate with the EarthRights Communications Team to amplify client voices and identify advocacy strategies that could complement litigation to meet client/community needs and goals
• Supervise interns, and coordinate programmatic activities
• Work with staff in other programs and offices to facilitate information flow, maintain collaborative work relationships across the organization and to ensure consistency and integration in support of EarthRights’s strategic priorities
• Communicate EarthRights’ work through web content and media contacts.
• Help define EarthRights’ presence in the U.S. climate justice movement, including through participation in relevant networks and coalitions.