Communications & Media Full-time

Associate Attorney, National Climate

Earthjustice

Posted

Feb 28, 2026

Location

Remote

Type

Full-time

Mission

What you will drive

About the Organization

Overview

Earthjustice is the nation's leading environmental law organization. We wield the power of law to protect the incredible biodiversity and wild places of the planet, avert climate disaster, and safeguard the right of all people to a healthy environment.

History

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C.

About the Role

Position Overview

The Associate Attorney position is a three-year position, with the potential for an extension, designed to help attorneys who are in the early stages of their careers to develop into thoughtful, professional, and effective advocates skilled in the various phases of public interest litigation.

Team Overview

The National Climate, Fossil Fuel Infrastructure team litigates and advocates in federal courts and before administrative agencies to achieve a swift and equitable shift away from fossil fuels and to curb the devastating effects of climate change.

Key Responsibilities

  • Conducting legal and factual research
  • Reviewing and analyzing administrative records and technical documents
  • Drafting motions, briefs, and other legal and factual documents in support of litigation and administrative advocacy
  • Participating in proceedings before federal courts and agencies
  • Cultivating relationships with clients, experts, allies, and coalition partners
  • Integrating media and legislative advocacy into litigation and other legal strategies
  • Hiring and supervising law students as Earthjustice interns or clerks

Requirements

  • Law school graduate
  • 2-6 years of legal experience and admitted to, or willing and eligible to apply for admission to the bar of the state in which they reside
  • Excellent research, analytic, writing, and communication skills
  • Strong and demonstrated work ethic, good judgment, initiative, and creativity
  • Strong desire to fight for the right of all to a healthy environment
  • Ability to work well independently and in a team-oriented atmosphere
  • Commitment to serving the public interest and a passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission
  • Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations
  • Ability and desire to contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences
  • High level of emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills

Nice to Have

  • Experience in environmental law or climate change litigation
  • Familiarity with federal energy regulatory practice
  • Experience working with clients, experts, allies, and coalition partners

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary depends on experience and location
  • Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by experience level and location
  • New York, NY & San Francisco, CA: $119,100 – $135,900
  • Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, Honolulu, HI & Washington, DC: $113,100 - $129,100
  • Juneau & Anchorage, AK, Denver, CO, Philadelphia, PA: $107,200 - $122,300
  • Houston, TX, New Orleans, LA, Miami & Tallahassee, FL, Bozeman, MT: $101,200 – $115,500
  • Excellent benefits
  • Mission- and employee-focused work environment
  • Equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity
  • Qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

Profile

What makes you a great fit

Earthjustice is seeking an Associate Attorney to join our team of lawyers who work to curb greenhouse gas emissions and protect communities by advancing rules, policies, and decisions to limit and prevent the federal permitting of climate-damaging infrastructure projects across the country. The position will be part of the National Climate, Fossil Fuel Infrastructure team whose members are in multiple locations; applicants seeking to work in locations where Earthjustice has an office will be considered. 
 
Earthjustice is the nation’s leading environmental law organization. Wielding the power of law, Earthjustice partners with our clients to take on the most critical fights of our time — fights to protect the incredible biodiversity and wild places of the planet; to avert climate disaster by transitioning society away from fossil fuels toward clean energy; and to safeguard the right of all people to a healthy environment. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
 
Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.
 
The Associate Attorney position is a three-year position, with the potential for an extension, designed to help attorneys who are in the early stages of their careers to develop into thoughtful, professional, and effective advocates skilled in the various phases of public interest litigation. As Associate Attorneys gain experience, they gradually take on more independent responsibility for their cases but work throughout their tenure under the supervision of Senior Attorneys, Directors, Deputy Managing Attorneys, or a Managing Attorney. Many Associates have gone on to other positions within Earthjustice and with other public interest organizations.
 
Earthjustice’s National Climate, Fossil Fuel Infrastructure team litigates and advocates in federal courts and before administrative agencies to achieve a swift and equitable shift away from fossil fuels and to curb the devastating effects of climate change. Our work includes opposing harmful fossil fuel infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines and liquefied natural gas export terminals, and advocating for stricter federal permitting standards for fossil fuel projects and more careful review of the need for and harmful impacts of these projects. The Associate Attorney position will focus on our federal energy regulatory practice, which involves advocacy and litigation before federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy, and the Army Corps of Engineers, and federal courts.
 
 
Responsibilities
Associate Attorneys perform a range of litigation and advocacy-related tasks that can include:  
 
  • Conducting legal and factual research.
  • Reviewing and analyzing administrative records and technical documents.
  • Drafting motions, briefs, and other legal and factual documents in support of litigation and administrative advocacy.
  • Participating in proceedings before federal courts and agencies. 
  • Cultivating relationships with clients, experts, allies, and coalition partners.
  • Integrating media and legislative advocacy into litigation and other legal strategies and working with colleagues in Earthjustice’s Policy Advocacy and Legislation and Communications departments.
  • Hiring and supervising law students as Earthjustice interns or clerks.  
Qualifications
  • Law school graduate
  • 2-6 years of legal experience and admitted to, or willing and eligible to apply for admission to the bar of the state in which they reside.
  • Excellent research, analytic, writing, and communication skills.
  • Strong and demonstrated work ethic, good judgment, initiative, and creativity.
  • Strong desire to fight for the right of all to a healthy environment.
  • Ability to work well independently and in a team-oriented atmosphere.
  • Commitment to serving the public interest and a passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission.
  • Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
  • Ability and desire to contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
  • High level of emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills. 
We offer a mission- and employee-focused work environment and a competitive compensation package, including excellent benefits.  Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity. As a 501(c)(3) organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. 
 
Salary depends on experience and location.
Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by experience level and location. 
New York, NY & San Francisco, CA: $119,100 – $135,900 
Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, Honolulu, HI & Washington, DC: $113,100 - $129,100 
Juneau & Anchorage, AK, Denver, CO, Philadelphia, PA: $107,200 - $122,300
Houston, TX, New Orleans, LA, Miami & Tallahassee, FL, Bozeman, MT: $101,200 – $115,500 
  
To Apply
 
Interested candidates should submit via Jobvite:
 
  • Resume.
  • One- or two-page cover letter explaining your interest in this position, what life experiences draw you to Earthjustice’s mission, and/or the skills you would bring to it. Please also indicate the Earthjustice office location(s) where you would prefer to work.
  • Writing sample, preferably a legal brief or memorandum that primarily reflects your work.
  • Law school transcript.
  • List of three references.
 
For this position, we are looking to hire a candidate that is available to start in June or September 2026. Preference will be given to applicants who apply by March 13, 2026. After that, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
 
Earthjustice brings our associate attorneys on board on a quarterly schedule during the months of January, April, June, and September.
 
Please reach out to [email protected] if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.
 
As an equal opportunity employer, we are 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, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor 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.   

About

Inside Earthjustice

"Leading legal battles to safeguard the environment and combat climate change."