Description:
A Nongovernmental, Nonprofit Organization, 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