Application Guide
How to Apply for Fall 2026 Legal Externship – Rocky Mountain Regional Office
at Earthjustice
🏢 About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the nation's premier nonprofit environmental law organization, uniquely positioned as 'the Earth's lawyer' in high-stakes litigation. Unlike traditional law firms, they exclusively represent clients who cannot pay, focusing on systemic environmental justice through strategic legal battles against climate change, fossil fuel extraction, and pollution. Their mission-driven culture values passion for justice, inclusion, and partnership, making it ideal for law students seeking to merge legal skills with environmental advocacy.
About This Role
This Fall 2026 legal externship in the Rocky Mountain Regional Office involves hands-on legal work supporting cases protecting public lands/wildlife from fracking/mining, accelerating clean energy transitions in Colorado/Utah/Arizona, and defending disproportionately impacted communities. Externs will contribute to litigation that directly shapes environmental policy across the Southwest while gaining experience in remote or hybrid work arrangements. The role offers practical legal training within Earthjustice's unique 'lawyer for the planet' model.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve researching case law on public lands protection for an upcoming brief, attending virtual meetings with attorneys about clean energy litigation strategy, and drafting memos on environmental justice issues affecting Southwest communities. Externs would collaborate remotely with the Denver-based team while contributing to active cases across the three focus areas, with opportunities for mentorship and hands-on legal work.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Earthjustice Is Looking For
- Current law student eligible for academic credit/graduation requirement fulfillment, with demonstrated interest in environmental law through coursework, clinics, or prior experience
- Passionate about environmental justice, particularly issues affecting Rocky Mountain region (Colorado/Utah/Arizona) communities, public lands, and clean energy transitions
- Research/writing skills applicable to litigation involving administrative law, NEPA, Clean Air Act, or similar environmental statutes
- Alignment with Earthjustice's core values of justice, inclusion, partnership, and excellence, with ability to work effectively in remote/hybrid settings
📝 Tips for Applying to Earthjustice
Explicitly address your eligibility for academic credit/graduation requirement in your application materials, as this is a firm requirement
Demonstrate specific knowledge of Rocky Mountain Regional Office's three focus areas (public lands protection, clean energy transition, community environmental justice) with examples from your background
Highlight any remote work experience or self-discipline, since this externship allows fully remote work within the U.S.
Connect your passion for environmental justice to Earthjustice's 'lawyer for the planet' identity rather than generic environmental interest
Mention any familiarity with Earthjustice's current Rocky Mountain cases (like Colorado fracking litigation or Utah public lands protection)
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your specific interest in the Rocky Mountain Regional Office's work (not just Earthjustice generally), referencing their three focus areas", 'How your academic/professional background prepares you for litigation involving administrative law, environmental statutes, or community advocacy', "Your commitment to Earthjustice's values of justice and inclusion, with examples of working with diverse communities or on equity issues", "Why the Fall 2026 timing aligns with your academic/career goals and how you'll manage remote/hybrid work effectively"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Recent Earthjustice Rocky Mountain Regional Office cases (like their work on Colorado oil/gas regulations or Utah wilderness protection)
- → Earthjustice's specific advocacy approach: how they select cases, their litigation strategy, and their partnership model with community groups
- → Key environmental justice issues affecting communities in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona (disproportionate pollution impacts, energy transition challenges)
- → Earthjustice's organizational structure and how their nonprofit legal model differs from government agencies or private firms
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Generic environmental passion without specific connection to Earthjustice's litigation-focused, nonprofit legal model
- Focusing only on national/international environmental issues without demonstrating knowledge of Rocky Mountain regional concerns
- Failing to address the academic credit requirement or how this externship fits into your law school program
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!