Spring 2026 Legal Externship – Northeast Regional Office

Earthjustice’s Northeast Regional Office is accepting applications for two part-time legal externs for Spring 2026. 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 to combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups to engage on the critical environmental issues of our time and bring about positive change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.  Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C. 
The Northeast Regional Office is dedicated to protecting public health and the climate and ensuring a healthy environment for all in the Northeast. We litigate and advocate for a just and equitable transition to clean energy and on behalf of communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms.
Responsibilities: Under the supervision of an attorney, the legal externs will support the Northeast Regional Office staff in two focus areas – Climate & Energy and Healthy Communities – by potentially: 

• Working with attorneys on case development and litigation. 
• Performing legal and factual research and developing case strategy and legal theories. 
• Assisting attorneys with preparing briefs and motions and meeting with clients and experts. 
• Participating in moots of oral arguments and attending court proceedings and conferences with opposing counsel.  

Qualifications:  

• Enrolled in law school as a 2L or 3L during spring 2026.
• Must be eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship.
• Excellent writing, research, analytical and organizational skills.
• Initiative, creative thinking and the ability to work collegially with others.
• Interest in environmental protection or environmental justice is a plus.
• Commitment of 12-20 hours per week.   

Compensation: Legal 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 5:00pm PT on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 via Jobvite. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed beginning September 2 with offers extended no later than October 31.    

• Resume.
• One-page cover letter that addresses: (1) Why you want to work with Earthjustice’s Northeast Regional office, (2) Whether you are able to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement for your work with Earthjustice, (3) The number of hours, or a reasonable estimate, you are available to work per week, (4) Any information about yourself that is not apparent or fully explained in your resume, and (5) 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. Please include a cover page indicating the extent to which your writing sample reflects edits and feedback from others.
• Finalists will be asked to submit 2 references, including one law professor or legal employer. 

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