2025 California Regional Office Clerkship

Earthjustice’s California Regional Office works to promote clean energy and zero emission transportation policies; to rein in oil and gas extraction, particularly in locations that threaten frontline communities; to protect state residents and sensitive ecosystems from pesticides and other toxic substances; to preserve California’s lands and rich biodiversity; and to improve air quality statewide. Our attorneys bring lawsuits and pursue administrative advocacy to protect the environment and promote environmental justice under a mix of federal environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act, as well as California statutes. The California Regional Office is seeking law clerks for summer 2025 to work alongside our attorneys and advocates in our San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.    Please note in your cover letter if you would prefer one of the two offices or are interested in both. ABOUT USFounded in 1971, Earthjustice is now the premier nonprofit environmental law organization in the U.S. with approximately 575 staff nationwide and 15 offices located strategically across the country. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; preserve magnificent places and wildlife; advance clean energy; and combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups and supporters to take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country and have a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.   Earthjustice’s work is currently divided into three major areas: 

• Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans focuses on cases that protect endangered species, national forests, national parks, other public lands, water resources, and the oceans. 

• Healthy Communities focuses on cases that protect public health, prevent air and water pollution, and curb exposures to toxic chemicals, particularly in disproportionately impacted communities. Recently, our healthy communities work has also begun to promote sustainable food and agriculture and the rights of farm workers. 

• Climate and Energy focuses on cases that encourage the swift and just transition to clean energy while challenging the reliance on coal, oil, and other dirty fuels. 

  We welcome all interested law students from across the country to apply for a summer law clerk position.  We expect that students will work proximate to or in an office where the program is located.  In some limited instances, an office may hire clerks to work in an area that is outside that team’s geographic area, but still proximate to an Earthjustice office.    RESPONSIBILITIES Summer Law Clerks will have the opportunity to work with several attorneys on case development and litigation strategy. Students may draft pleadings and briefs, do legal research, develop strategy and legal theories, gather evidence, and attend client meetings and court proceedings. Earthjustice’s summer law clerk program also includes various programmatic offerings, such as in-person and virtual seminars with attorneys and guest speakers on current environmental issues, interactions with other local and regional environmental groups, and a job interview workshop.    COMPENSATION Earthjustice summer law clerkships are paid positions. The total stipend amount will be dependent on any external funding a student secures, such as through their law school’s summer funding program. Earthjustice will provide a one-time stipend at the start of the clerkship in the amount of $1,319.00 per week, minus the total amount received from any other sources and applicable taxes. The summer law clerkship is designed to be 10 weeks long at full-time hours (37.5 hours/week).    You are welcome to pursue outside funding. The ability to secure outside funding will not be considered as part of the hiring process.    HOW TO APPLY Eligibility: Candidates must be enrolled in a U.S. law school through fall 2025 (i.e., not graduating before December 2025) and be available to commit ten weeks during summer 2025. Summer law clerks must work from the U.S. during their clerkship.    INSTRUCTIONSInterested candidates should submit their complete application via Jobvite by 5:00pm PT on September 2, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be considered.    Each Eart