2027 Sustainable Food & Farming Clerkship

About the role

The Sustainable Food and Farming Program at Earthjustice engages in litigation and advocacy to improve the nation's food system, focusing on safe and healthy food, climate-friendly farming, reduced pesticide and fertilizer use, and humane treatment of animals.

Responsibilities

• Draft pleadings and briefs
• Do legal research
• Develop strategy and legal theories
• Gather evidence
• Attend client meetings and court proceedings

Programmatic Offerings

• In-person and virtual seminars with attorneys and guest speakers on current environmental issues
• Interactions with other local and regional environmental groups
• Job interview workshop

Compensation

The total stipend amount will be dependent on any external funding a student secures, such as through their law school's summer funding program. Earthjustice will provide a one-time stipend at the start of the clerkship in the amount of $1,382.00 per week, minus the total amount received from any other sources and applicable taxes. The summer law clerkship is designed to be 10 weeks long at full-time hours (37.5 hours/week).

How to Apply

• Candidates must be enrolled in a U.S. law school through fall 2027 (i.e., not graduating before December 2027) and be available to commit ten weeks during summer 2027.
• Summer law clerks must work from the U.S. during their clerkship.
• Interested candidates should submit their complete application via Jobvite by September 7, 2026.
• Application Materials Requested:
• Resume
• A cover letter addressing: (1) relevant aspects of your background that are not apparent or fully explained in your resume; (2) why you are drawn to Earthjustice’s mission and the litigation teams for which you are applying; and (3) whether there are particular environmental or public interest issues that inspire you.
• A recent legal writing sample of no more than 10 pages that primarily reflects your work. Please include a cover page indicating the extent to which your writing sample reflects edits and feedback from others.
• Unofficial transcript.

Resources

• Additional information about our hiring process and tips for success can be found at https://earthjustice.org/about/jobs/hiring-process.