Litigation Fellowship, Environment & Natural Resources (Fall 2027)

About the role

Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is seeking a recent law-school graduate for the Litigation Fellowship, a year-long position within the Environment & Natural Resources team. This fellowship offers hands-on experience in public-interest law, focusing on battling government overreach and defending individual liberty. You will work alongside PLF’s top attorneys, assist in ongoing cases, and learn to develop precedent-setting litigation from the ground up. The fellowship is designed for entrepreneurial, passionate advocates eager to immerse themselves in the legal and philosophical principles of the liberty movement.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with attorneys to develop precedent-setting cases.
• Actively participate in all stages of litigation, from pre-litigation to discovery and appellate work.
• Draft briefs, comment letters, and research memoranda.
• Engage in legal research projects and communications efforts.
• Collaborate with junior and senior attorneys to elevate PLF’s ability to secure victories for liberty.

Requirements

• Recent law-school graduate (J.D. required).
• Passion for individual liberty, property rights, and administrative law.
• Demonstrated interest in environmental law and the ideas of freedom and individual liberty.
• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent legal research and writing skills.
• Confidence, magnanimity, and a bold, relentless approach to defending freedom.

About the Environment & Natural Resources Practice

PLF’s Environment and Natural Resources practice is rooted in the belief that human creativity, unleashed through liberty, solves problems and expands the world’s potential. We defend the freedom to use public and private land productively by protecting constitutional limits on government power and promoting abundance through innovation. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

Work Environment

PLF is a national nonprofit with offices in Sacramento, CA; Arlington, VA; and Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Approximately half of the staff work remotely across the country. Litigation Fellows will gain the richest experience by spending a few days each week in the Arlington, VA office, though remote participation is also available.

Pay

Fellows will receive a salary of $100,000 for the one-year fellowship.

Schedule

This is a full-time, one-year fellowship beginning September 1, 2027.

Benefits

• Eligibility for consideration for a permanent position upon successful completion of the fellowship.
• Competitive compensation package.
• Flexible, collaborative, and collegial work environment.
• Opportunities for internal advancement and professional development.