Position: Fellowship Sponsorship

Location: Washington, D.C.

Reports to: Supervising Attorneys and General Counsel

Annual Salary: Will depend on fellowship program

Work authorization: United States (required)

Application Deadlines: July 15, 2023 (to support Climate Justice Project) or October 20, 2023 (to support U.S. Global Legal Program)

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 to sponsor the externally-funded fellowship applications of 2-3 rising 3Ls, LLMs, or recent law school graduates for positions starting September 2024.

One 3L or recent J.D. graduate will be selected to apply – with EarthRights as a sponsor – for the Skadden, Equal Justice Works, and/or Justice Catalyst fellowship in order to support EarthRights’ new Climate Justice Project and help develop and implement legal strategies related to climate and environmental justice in the United States. Through this project, EarthRights is working with communities of color impacted by climate change or environmental harms to hold government, companies, and financial institutions accountable. In light of the early deadlines for these fellowships, requests for EarthRights to sponsor such applications must be submitted to EarthRights, per the below instructions, no later than July 15, 2023. EarthRights will then work with the selected candidate to prepare and present the applications to the various fellowship funders as appropriate.

In addition, EarthRights is seeking to sponsor 1-2 3Ls or LLMs for applications for their respective law schools’ funded postgraduate public interest fellowships. Candidates who have identified such opportunities are invited to submit a short application to EarthRights requesting that the organization serve as a host organization. Once EarthRights selects the appropriate candidate, EarthRights will work with the sponsored candidate to apply for the fellowship with their law school. If selected for such a fellowship, the Fellow will support EarthRights’ transnational human rights and environmental corporate accountability work, investigating the progress of this field and researching and implementing new strategies for accountability. EarthRights is also willing to accommodate project-specific fellowship opportunities where the Fellow is primarily tasked with undertaking a project with a defined scope if the proposed project aligns with EarthRights' goals.

All Fellows will gain experience as fully integrated members of our legal team while receiving substantive mentorship.

Responsibilities are likely to include:

• Conduct legal research on U.S. law.
• Prepare legal memorandums, court briefs, and filings for the U.S. and other legal systems.
• Work in collaboration with partner NGOs and communities to assist in developing legal and advocacy strategies.
• Research new legal strategies to defend the human and environmental rights of frontline communities.
• Communicate EarthRights’ work through web content and media contacts.
• Conduct policy advocacy with the U.S. legislative and executive branches.
• Collaborate on EarthRights publications and assist in EarthRights events.

The ideal candidate for sponsorship will demonstrate the following:

• A demonstrated commitment to using the U.S. legal system to serve frontline communities and/or to support environmental justice communities
• Experience working with environmental justice communities, Indigenous communities, or grassroots organizations
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in teams
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Desired Skills and Experience

• Proficiency in Spanish
• A background or experience in international human rights, environmental law, civil rights law, corporate accountability, and/or Indigenous peoples’ rights
• Experience in regional studies, development, environmental sciences, or other fields related to issues of human rights, environmental protection, and Indigenous peoples
• 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

Benefits

• Employer-sponsored medical insurance (dependent coverage available)
• 100% employer-paid dental and vision insurance coverage (dependent coverage available)
• 14 weeks of paid maternity/paternity leave for eligible employees
• 15 days of vacation &12 sick days per year
• 12 paid federal holidays; office closed from December 24 – January 1
• Flexible Spending Plan (FSA)
• Generous employer nonelective retirement contribution
• Employee wellness benefits and transportation benefits
• A casual and fun work environment

How To Apply

Please be sure to follow all instructions carefully.

Please submit the following materials as separate MS Word or PDF files:

• Through the application portal, select which fellowship opportunity(s) you are interested in applying for (you may apply to either, or both).
• Do not send a cover letter. Instead, send a single document with brief answers to the following questions, no more than 250 words each.
  • Please share how your background and/or personal and professional experiences have shaped your most important values as a lawyer, and informed your decision to apply for a fellowship sponsorship with EarthRights.
  • If you had the power, what one change in law or policy would you make to advance the issues you care about, and why?
  • Please answer one or both of the following:
    • If you are applying for a fellowship to support the Climate Justice Project, what are your ideas for a potential fellowship project related to climate and environmental justice?
    • If you are interested in applying for a law school-funded fellowship, what are your ideas for a potential fellowship project related to transnational corporate accountability?
  • Answer only if you are interested in applying for a law school-funded fellowship:
    • What are the details of the law school-funded fellowship to which you intend on applying, including the timeline, funding level, and criteria/requirements?
• Resume or CV (no longer than 2 pages)
• Transcript from U.S. law school (unofficial transcripts are okay). If there is anything on your transcript that you believe would benefit from further explanation, you may also submit an optional supplementary explanation (no more than 250 words).
• Legal writing sample (no longer than 10 pages)

Once your application has been submitted, please go to this link and fill out the demographic survey questions. This information will not be linked to your individual application in any way, but helps EarthRights evaluate our efforts at recruiting a diverse set of candidates.

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates may be contacted.

EarthRights International is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices, and actively encourages people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI people to apply.