SPRING 2023 and SUMMER 2023
SIERRA CLUB ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INTERNSHIPS
POSITIONS: Internships with the Sierra Club Environmental Law Program
OFFICES: Oakland, CA, Washington, D.C., and Denver, CO
TERMS: Spring 2023, and Summer 2023
HOURS: Spring: full- or part-time during the semester for 14 weeks; Summer: full-time for 10 weeks
CREDIT: Academic credit available, depending on your school’s policy
FUNDING: Sierra Club compensates eligible students $15/hour
DEADLINE: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
DESCRIPTION:
The Sierra Club is the nation’s leader in grassroots environmental litigation. Since Sierra Club v. Morton, the Sierra Club has used the courts to fight for environmental protection at national, regional, and local levels, giving citizens the means and legal expertise to enforce our hard-won environmental laws and protect our water, air, and wilderness. The Sierra Club Environmental Law Program (ELP) develops and prosecutes the legal strategies for the Sierra Club’s nationwide grassroots campaigns, which focus on promoting smart energy solutions, building safe and healthy communities, and protecting the nation’s wild legacy. ELP leverages all of the Club’s tools of democracy by integrating legal advocacy with grassroots organizing, sophisticated communications, a state-of-the-art digital strategies team, and administrative lobbying. With the strength of our nation’s first, largest, and most powerful environmental organization, the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts.
ELP attorneys are at the cutting edge of climate change litigation. We work with our allies to reduce the environmental and public health degradation that flows from the lifecycle of fossil fuel use, ranging from destructive mining and fracking to combustion to disposal. At the same time, we advocate for the expansion of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. In the past few years alone, we have achieved tremendous public health and climate change benefits for many communities particularly those engaged in environmental justice struggles.
ELP seeks law students passionate about public interest environmental litigation to assist with our strategic lawsuits. Interns work on many aspects of litigation, including undertaking legal research, preparing written memoranda, and conducting factual investigation. During the course of the program, students typically work with several of the Club’s attorneys, thus gaining exposure to a wide range of litigation styles. Our interns are encouraged to participate in weekly legal team meetings where we discuss our dockets and strategies.
The Sierra Club’s vision is for its staff, volunteer leaders, members, and supporters to reflect the communities of our nation. The Sierra Club is committed to Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (EIJ) and values a culture in which all people feel welcomed, respected, supported, and encouraged to participate. Find out more about Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at the Sierra Club: sierraclub.org/equity.
QUALIFICATIONS: We look for candidates with excellent writing ability, research skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills, and a commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. An environmental law background is preferable, but not a requirement.
We ask that part-time applicants commit to a minimum of 20 hours per week.
TO APPLY: Please send a resume and law school transcript with school names and school locations redacted to the application email address listed below. Your school’s name should not be visible anywhere in the resume, including in any email addresses. First-year students applying for summer internships should supply a transcript as soon as it becomes available.
Once you have submitted your application, you will be sent a link to a Google form, where you will be prompted to provide additional information, including short answer responses to preliminary questions and your preferred office location. You will have seven days from the sharing of the Google form to submit your answers. Your application will not be reviewed until you have completed and submitted the Google form.
Please compile your electronic application into one PDF and send your application to elp.legalinternships@sierraclub.org. In the subject line, please include the position(s) and term(s) for which you are applying.
Please be aware that if Sierra Club’s COVID-19 policy continues to require ELP staff to work from home, we will host our internship programs remotely.
Please add elp.legalinternships@sierraclub.org as a contact to avoid your email’s spam filter.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.sierraclub.org/environmental-law/
CDO# 28220
ARBITRARY DEADLINE, APPLY ASAP
