Spring 2025 Legal Externship – Biodiversity Defense Program

at  Earthjustice

Earthjustice’s Biodiversity Defense Program is accepting applications for one full- or part-time legal extern for spring 2025. We are seeking 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 may work remotely within the U.S. 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. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
The Biodiversity Defense Program focuses on the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss, including habitat destruction and over-exploitation (or over-hunting) of wildlife. As the scope of this work is so immense and intersectional, a key piece of the program’s strategy is partnering with our regional offices and programs to add litigation and policy knowledge to their work and to build new partnerships. Additionally, we advance policies aimed at protecting habitat critical to the survival of species, such as a national plan to permanently protect America’s carbon-dense and biodiverse mature and old-growth forests.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Enrolled in law school as a 2L or 3L during spring 2025.
• Must be eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship.
• Excellent writing, research, analytical and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with legal research tools, including Westlaw.
• Strong work ethic, initiative, and ability to think creatively.
• Ability to work collegially with others and independently.
• Knowledge of environmental and administrative law is a plus.
• Interest in public interest law and social justice.
• If full-time, must commit to 37.5 hours per week.
• If part-time, must commit to at least 12 hours per week.

Under the supervision of an attorney, the legal extern will contribute legal research and writing related to new and ongoing cases for the Biodiversity Defense Program.