Spring 2025 Science Externship ?International Program

Description Earthjustice’s International Program is accepting applications for one full- or part-time science extern for spring 2025. We are seeking graduate 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 from 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 U.S. and work with partners in other countries who are leading these cases in their own domestic contexts. 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 combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, supporters, individuals, and communities to engage in the critical environmental issues of our time and bring about positive change. We are guided by a passionate, ambitious vision for the future for people and our planet: until justice stands for all, we will never rest. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Since 1991, our International Program has been partnering with organizations and communities around the world to establish, strengthen, and enforce national and international legal protections for the environment and human health. We work with partners in South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Latin America, and elsewhere. Together with our partners, we use strategic legal advocacy to reduce dependence on dirty fossil fuels and to develop regulatory frameworks for, and remove obstacles to, the accelerated deployment of clean energy.

Responsibilities

• Research, synthesize, and present on cutting-edge areas of environmental science.
• Analyze Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for proposed fossil fuel projects and draft sections of administrative comments in response to concerns with the EIAs.
• Assess proposed regulations on topics relevant to the energy transition and suggest areas for improvement, based on the latest science and comparable regulations from other countries or regions.
• Draft memos or reports on research topics relevant to the energy transition, such as energy transition minerals, coal ash, decarbonization pathways, community benefit agreements, etc.
• Draft annotated bibliographies.
• Research potential technical experts to contribute to legal cases.
• Work with attorneys to cite check submissions.
• Clean metadata in reference manager.
• Participate in and contribute to strategy discussions internally and with partners.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in a graduate program during spring 2025, preferably in fields related to environmental management.
• Must be eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship.
• Demonstrated commitment to environmental protection and environmental or social justice.
• Excellent research, analytic and writing skills.
• Strong work ethic.
• Initiative, creative thinking and the ability to work collegially with others.
• Experience working on international issues, especially environmental and/or human rights issues, is a plus.
• Commitment of at least 12 hours per week.

Compensation

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 September 11, 2024 via Jobvite. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis and offers will be extended no later than October 18.

• Resume.
• Cover letter – In one page, (1) Address why you want to work with the International Program and any information about yourself that is not apparent or fully explained in the resume; (2) Note if you are interested in part-time or full-time work hours and specify the number of hours, or a reasonable estimate, you will be able to work each week; (3) Confirm that you can earn academic credit from your school or that you will fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship; and (4) Indicate any applicable deadlines or requirements that are relevant to your submission or ability to accept an offer.
• Additional Documents (select “Add Files” in Jobvite):

• List of graduate school courses applicant will have taken through spring 2025.
• 2-5-page writing sample (can be an excerpt of a longer piece and writing done for school assignments is fine).

Finalists will be asked to submit 2 references, including one professor.

Information about our hiring process and tips for success can be found at https://earthjustice.org/about/jobs/hiring-process . Please reach out to [email protected] 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.

As an equal opportunity employer, Earthjustice is committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other factor specified under applicable laws that is not related to the position.

For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.