Application Guide

How to Apply for Clerk, Transparency and Regulatory Affairs Program (Summer 2026)

at Animal Legal Defense Fund

🏢 About Animal Legal Defense Fund

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is unique as the nation's leading legal advocacy organization for animals, using litigation, legislation, and education to secure stronger legal protections. Unlike general animal welfare groups, ALDF operates specifically within the legal system, making it ideal for law students or those interested in animal law. Working here means contributing to precedent-setting cases and regulatory changes that directly impact animal welfare nationwide.

About This Role

This Clerk role in the Transparency and Regulatory Affairs Program involves hands-on legal and regulatory work, including drafting public records requests, analyzing agency responses, and creating regulatory comments to strengthen animal protection laws. You'll directly support efforts to hold industries accountable through legal transparency mechanisms. The role is impactful because your research and drafting could influence actual regulatory decisions affecting animals in agriculture, research, or entertainment.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve researching recent regulatory filings from agricultural agencies, drafting sections of a rulemaking petition to strengthen animal transport regulations, and organizing data from public records responses into tracking systems. You'll likely attend team meetings to discuss strategy for upcoming regulatory comments and review agency documents for potential legal violations.

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🎯 Who Animal Legal Defense Fund Is Looking For

  • Current law student (JD candidate) with at least one year completed by Summer 2026, or advanced undergraduate in pre-law/animal studies with legal research experience
  • Demonstrated interest in animal law through coursework, volunteer work, or previous internships with animal protection or legal organizations
  • Strong legal research and writing skills, with ability to analyze statutes, regulations, and agency documents
  • Familiarity with administrative law concepts like rulemaking, public records requests, and regulatory comment processes

📝 Tips for Applying to Animal Legal Defense Fund

1

Highlight any experience with FOIA/public records requests or regulatory analysis, even from coursework or moot court

2

Demonstrate specific knowledge of ALDF's current cases or campaigns by mentioning them in your application materials

3

Show how your background connects to specific animal law issues ALDF addresses (factory farming, animal testing, wildlife protection, etc.)

4

If you have no direct animal law experience, emphasize transferable skills from other legal internships and explain your passion for animal protection

5

Submit writing samples that demonstrate legal analysis and research skills, ideally related to regulatory or administrative law

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your understanding of ALDF's specific approach to animal protection through legal and regulatory systems", 'Examples of legal research or writing experience relevant to regulatory affairs or administrative law', 'Why animal law specifically interests you, not just animal welfare generally', "How your skills align with the program's focus on transparency and holding industries accountable through legal means"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → ALDF's current regulatory campaigns and recent rulemaking petitions they've submitted
  • → The specific industries mentioned in ALDF's work (factory farming, animal testing labs, puppy mills, etc.) and their regulatory frameworks
  • → Key animal protection laws at federal and state levels that ALDF frequently works with
  • → ALDF's Transparency Project and how it uses public records to expose animal welfare issues
Visit Animal Legal Defense Fund's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Your knowledge of current animal law issues and ALDF's active cases or regulatory initiatives
2 How you would approach drafting a public records request to an agricultural agency about animal welfare violations
3 Your experience analyzing complex regulations or statutes and explaining them clearly
4 How you stay organized when tracking multiple regulatory proceedings or entities
5 Your thoughts on effective strategies for influencing regulatory agencies to strengthen animal protections
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on emotional appeals about loving animals without demonstrating legal/regulatory understanding
  • Not being able to discuss specific ALDF cases or campaigns during interviews
  • Submitting generic application materials that don't address the regulatory/legal focus of this specific program

📅 Application Timeline

⏰ Deadline: April 6, 2026

We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Animal Legal Defense Fund!

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