Environmental Law Program Fellow

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Job Title: Environmental Law Program Fellow (2023-2024)
Department: Program
Location: Washington, D.C
Term: Temporary for one year, beginning in fall of 2023
Reports To: Managing Attorney
Supervises: None


Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of togetherness. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel inequity, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our democracy. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we know that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it.

Sierra Club is comprised of staff across the country and a network of local chapters that support our grassroots engagement.


Scope: ELP seeks graduating law students passionate about public interest environmental litigation to assist with our strategic lawsuits. Fellows work on all aspects of litigation, including undertaking legal research, preparing written memoranda, and conducting factual investigation. Depending on the cases to which our fellows are assigned, students may also draft notice letters, briefs and other pleadings, attend court appearances, and work on discovery. During the course of the program, fellows typically work with several of the Club’s attorneys, thus gaining exposure to a wide range of litigation styles. Our fellows are encouraged to participate during weekly legal team meetings where we discuss our dockets and strategy.


Job activities include but are not limited to:

  • Work on all aspects of litigation, including undertaking legal research, preparing written memoranda, and conducting factual investigation.
  • Draft notice letters, briefs and other pleadings, attend court appearances, and work on discovery.
  • Work with several of the Club’s attorneys, thus gaining exposure to a wide range of litigation styles.
  • Engage in weekly legal team meetings where we discuss our dockets and strategy.

The successful candidate must have the following skills and experience:

  • Excellent writing skills
  • Excellent research and analytical skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Equity Analysis and Practice. Candidates are aware of their group identities and how they have shaped their life and experiences at work. Likewise, they have an awareness of how racism and other forms of oppression impact relationships, systems, and culture. Ideal candidates also bring experience and skills for working effectively with colleagues across group identities, positions, and roles.
  • Candidate will have completed their 3 law year by summer 2023, or before the start of this fellowship.

The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following experience, skills and competencies:

  • Strong candidates will also have a background demonstrating interest in environmental and/or public interest law, though this is not a requirement of the position.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this one-year fellow position is $62,000.

This is a category 99 non-exempt, non-represented, temporary position.

Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

Sierra Club values the expertise and talents of foreign nationals. Sierra Club sponsors both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas when certain criteria are met, based on immigration laws and organizational needs. Such sponsorship is at the discretion of the Department Head and Sierra Club Human Resources in consultation with the employee’s manager. The Sierra Club cannot guarantee the approval of a visa petition. The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.


To Apply

Please remove your schools from your resume. You may leave your degree (e.g., “B.A. Philosophy”), but please remove any undergraduate, graduate and law school names. There is no page limit for the resume.

This anonymous process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments, and mitigating bias in the decision-making process.

Lastly, we are intentionally not asking for a cover letter, so please do not send one in with your application.

This posting will remain up until the position is filled, as we accept applications on a rolling basis. Please be advised that we may not reach out immediately due to internal processes, but anticipate making a decision by January of 2023.

For more information: https://www.sierraclub.org/environmental-law

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.