Law Clerks, Spring 2019

~ The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog organization that advocates for effective enforcement of environmental laws. ~

Comprised of former EPA enforcement attorneys, public interest lawyers, analysts, investigators, and community organizers, EIP has three goals:

1. To illustrate through objective facts and figures how the failure to enforce or implement environmental laws increases pollution and harms public health;
2. To hold federal and state agencies, as well as individual corporations, accountable for failing to enforce or comply with environmental laws; and
3. To help local communities obtain the protections of environmental laws.

We act as a watchdog because we have to. State and federal agencies charged with protecting the environment often are squeezed by limited resources and political interference from well-funded lobbyists hired by the industries they are required to regulate. We help level the playing field by giving communities the legal and technical resources they need to claim their rights under environmental laws.

Political influence should play no role when the government decides whether to enforce laws which keep cancer-causing benzene out of the lungs of children, for example, or deadly coal soot particles out of the bloodstreams of the elderly.

We do this by advocating for fair enforcement of environmental laws and regulations; writing and distributing reports and data; taking legal actions against big polluters and government agencies, when necessary; and by teaching communities how to participate in the public process regarding important state and federal environmental decisions.

Position Overview

The Environmental Integrity Project is seeking law clerks for spring 2019 to advance environmental protections at the federal, state, and local levels under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and other federal and state environmental laws. 

Responsibilities

• The clerks’ duties will include legal research related to environmental, administrative, and information-collecting statutes and regulations, review of pollution permits and data, and production of legal memoranda, public comments, litigation documents, and issue-focused reports. 
• Candidates with a background or coursework in environmental/administrative law and a demonstrated commitment to environmental protection are preferred.

Qualifications

• Candidates preferably should have completed at least one year of law school and have a strong interest in environmental advocacy.  
• The ideal candidate will have a background or coursework in environmental/administrative law and a demonstrated commitment to environmental protection and/or non-profit advocacy. 
• Previous experience with the Clean Air Act and/or the Clean Water Act, developing or litigating cases, commenting on or challenging permits or rules, policy analysis, media outreach, and/or coalition building would also be helpful. 
• Candidates should be able to handle multiple tasks at once and work well with others, and must demonstrate strong writing and analytical skills.

Compensation

• Hourly wage or academic credit.
• Full- or part-time.

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to upload your cover letter, resume, writing sample, law school transcript (unofficial is fine), and three references by email to Sylvia Lam.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible. 
• Applications may also be submitted by mail to the following address: Spring Law Clerk Position, Environmental Integrity Project, 1000 Vermont Ave. NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20005.