Summer Law Clerk

Job Title: Summer Law Clerk

FLSA Status: Hourly non exempt 

Position Type: Full time

Department: Legal

Job Level: Grade (1)

Pay Range:  $35.20 per hour /$1,320.00 per week ($13,200 for 10 weeks)

Reports To: General Counsel 

About Earth Island Institute:

Earth Island Institute (EII) is a leading nonprofit environmental organization that has been at the forefront of efforts to protect the environment and its inhabitants for over forty years. EII supports grassroots activists through a powerful network of approximately 80 sponsored projects working in the United States and around the world. EII's projects safeguard forests, oceans, and wildlife; support youth and women’s environmental leadership and underserved communities; combat climate change; and promote environmental justice, sustainability, and resilience. EII further advances, informs, and inspires action through the New Leaders Initiative and its annual Brower Youth Awards, which provides youth leadership recognition and mentoring; Earth Island Journal, which provides unparalleled coverage of global environmental news and perspectives, both in a quarterly print issue and in daily stories online; and Earth Island Advocates, which uses the law to fight for the planet and its inhabitants. For more information, please visit earthisland.org.
 

Earth Island Advocates:

Earth Island, in partnership with our fiscally-sponsored projects, uses the law to fight for justice for the planet’s beautiful and varied ecosystems and inhabitants. With the combined knowledge and expertise of our grassroots project network and the pro bono resources of law firms, legal clinics, and nonprofit organizations, Earth Island Advocates is achieving tangible results for the environment. Earth Island’s lawsuits cover a wide range of issues and often involve other organizations and individuals aligned with our work. The Advocates program has supported approximately 20 cases on matters ranging from challenging harmful wildlife practices, to halting destructive logging in CA forests, to ending the use of toxic dispersants. Furthermore, Advocates has helped coordinate non-litigation engagements with law school clinics at Georgetown, Stanford, and University of California, Berkeley law schools. These partnerships have resulted in petitions to federal agencies to strengthen environmental and public health rules, among other advocacy efforts. 

In just the past year, we have obtained victories against some of the biggest plastic-producing companies for exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis and deceiving the public about the recyclability of their products. An appeals court recently gave a green light to our case against Coca-Cola, bringing us closer to holding that company accountable for its deceptive sustainability targets and affirming our ability to bring similar actions against other offenders. Here in California, our first-of-its-kind lawsuit to hold companies accountable for the negative impacts of plastic packaging is moving towards trial next summer.

Position Overview:

Earth Island is seeking law clerks for Summer 2026. Earth Island supports 65 grassroots environmental and environmental justice projects that cover the entire spectrum of the environmental movement. A number of these projects rely on litigation and legal advocacy to advance their work. The primary role of the law clerk is to provide assistance to the legal department with the development and management of affirmative environmental litigation and advocacy on behalf of Earth Island projects. This work will include the assessment of possible claims, analysis of strengths/weaknesses, and development of the facts needed to support possible claims. Additionally, the law clerk will assist the legal team in responding to various legal issues that arise in a nonprofit setting. This will generally involve conducting legal research to respond in writing or orally to discrete questions related to corporate governance, employment, contract, tax, or intellectual property. 

Finally, the law clerk will have the opportunity to attend related environmental law events in the SF Bay Area. These events include lectures and discussions at Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment; a summer brown bag series for law clerks at environmental organizations; and other similar events.
 

Desired Qualifications: 

First and foremost, we are looking for individuals with a passion for the environment and social justice. In addition, we are seeking individuals that think creatively, are self-starters, are eager to learn new things, and have strong legal research and writing skills. 

We are excited to work with both 1Ls and 2Ls.

Note: this is a hybrid clerkship. We expect the clerk to work at our Berkeley office at least 3 days per week.

Compensation:

Earth Island summer law clerkships are paid positions. Earth Island will provide the clerkship $1,320.00 per week ($13,200 for 10 weeks), minus applicable taxes, and minus any outside funding the law clerk has secured. The summer law clerkship is designed to be 10 weeks long at full-time hours (37.5 hours/week at $35.20 per hour).

You are welcome to pursue outside funding. The ability to secure outside funding will not be considered as part of the hiring process. Earth Island Institute is an equal opportunity employer. 

Earth Island Institute has adopted a compensation philosophy and set of practices

to promote equity, remove bias - whether implicit or explicit - in the salary adjustment process,

and to promote transparency around salaries. Each position has a grade and has a

corresponding range of pay based on market pay practices and an employee’s tenure in a job. The candidate’s exact placement will be determined based on factors consistent with Earth Island Institute’s compensation philosophy. Full benefits include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, 13 paid holidays per year, paid vacation and sick leave.

Application process

Applications are accepted and considered on a rolling basis, beginning on November 1. Positions will remain open until filled. Semester-long placements may be available as well. 

Application materials must include a cover letter and resume. 

Submit all application materials by email to jobs@earthisland.org.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement:

Earth Island Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Earth Island Institute is committed to our role in addressing barriers to engagement as we work collectively toward a future of environmental well-being for all. We value diversity and inclusion, and we look forward to reviewing applications from all who are qualified to apply.

Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. If you seek an accommodation, please advise in writing at the time you apply.