Fellow

• Investigate and draft regulatory complaints against individuals and facilities that exploit animals including factory farms, puppy mills, laboratories, and roadside zoos
• Draft comments and petitions for rulemaking to ensure broad interpretations of existing animal protection laws and to seek improved welfare for animals
• Conduct factual research and manage the submission, tracking, and follow-up of federal Freedom of Information Act and state public records act requests
• Analyze FOIA and state public records law responses and engage in follow-up correspondence with agencies as needed

This role creates positive change by protecting animals through the legal system, holding animal abusers accountable, and advocating for stronger animal protection laws and regulations.

• Juris Doctorate degree when the fellowship begins and be admitted to practice law in the state where you will reside during your fellowship (or be awaiting bar results)
• Graduated from law school within three years of the fellowship start date (or looking to move from an unrelated legal practice into animal protection work)
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills and be able to meet deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills

Full-time remote position with occasional travel required (1-6 trips per year). This is a bargaining unit position beginning in Spring 2026 and lasting for approximately two years. The organization is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion, and offices and events are free of animal products and byproducts.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund's mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system by filing high-impact lawsuits, providing legal assistance to prosecutors, supporting animal protection legislation, and advancing the field of animal law.