[Hiring] Project Attorney @Earthjustice

Role Description

Earthjustice seeks a two-year Project Attorney to join our Healthy States project. Candidates must have at least seven years of litigation or a combination of litigation and legal policy experience. The project attorney will work with staff on the Healthy Communities team and members of Earthjustice’s regional offices to help identify and develop novel litigation, legal advocacy, and regulatory strategies using state and local laws in a small number of jurisdictions. The goal of the project is to advance state-level and local-level strategies to increase protections from toxic exposure and to hold polluters accountable.

• Conduct legal research in an array of fields, including but not limited to environmental law.
• Identify and develop novel legal advocacy approaches.
• Support litigation in state courts to advance Earthjustice’s mission.
• Conduct administrative analysis, and advocate before state and local governments.
• Develop and execute toxics-focused advocacy campaigns in collaboration with other Earthjustice attorneys as well as Earthjustice lobbyists and communications staff.
• Collaborate with co-counsel in other organizations and oversee the work of outside experts.
• Collaborate with Earthjustice staff on communications efforts, including writing reports and blogs.
• Work with Earthjustice staff to help inform fundraising efforts.
• Join other Earthjustice staff in planning and strategy development as appropriate.
• Help create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, and work with colleagues, clients, and partners in a manner consistent with those efforts.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
• Active bar membership in relevant working location.
• 7+ years of litigation experience, or a combination of litigation and legal policy work.
• Comfort with learning new areas of law.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.
• Initiative, judgment, collegial work style, and a strong work ethic.
• Ability and willingness to travel for case work and internal meetings.
• Strong preference for those with experience using legal frameworks to advance social and/or environmental justice.

Requirements

• This is a full-time role at 37.5 hours/week.
• The successful candidate may work remotely from the U.S. or on a hybrid schedule from Earthjustice’s offices in Chicago, New York City, or Washington, DC, and must be willing to travel as needed.
• We are seeking those who can begin in summer 2026 and work for 24 months.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and excellent, comprehensive benefits.
• Casual and congenial work environment.
• Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
• Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by experience level and working location.
• Salary Range in New York: $175,500 - $217,100.
• Salary Range in Washington, DC & Chicago, IL: $166,700 - $206,200.
• Salary Range for Remote (US): $149,200 - $217,100.

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following materials via Jobvite:

• Resume.
• Cover letter describing:
  • The reasons you are interested in working at Earthjustice;
  • The location(s) where you would prefer to work, your preferences regarding in-office work, and any particular requirements or flexibility on these issues;
  • Your strengths, expertise, and interest in doing legal advocacy to increase protections from toxic exposures;
  • Your experience developing novel legal strategies.
• Two writing samples that reflect your own legal or policy analysis, at least one of which must be a legal brief or motion. Each writing sample should be no more than 12 pages, written primarily by you with a cover note indicating the level of editing by others.

Our preferred application deadline is July 5, 2026. Applications received after may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the role is filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please reach out to [email protected] if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.