Spring / Summer 2026 Legal Intern

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title : Legal Intern

Department : Environmental Law Program

Location : Oakland, CA; Washington, DC

Reports to : Manager, Environmental Law Program

Duration :

Spring : 14 weeks, 20 hours per week

Summer : 10 weeks, 37.5 hours per week

Context : At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 800 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope : The Environmental Law Program is at the cutting edge of climate change litigation. We work with our allies to reduce the environmental and public health degradation that flows from the lifecycle of fossil fuel use, ranging from destructive mining and fracking to combustion to disposal. At the same time, we advocate for the expansion of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. In the past few years alone, we have achieved tremendous public health and climate change benefits for many communities, including for those engaged in environmental justice struggles in particular.

ELP seeks law students passionate about public interest environmental litigation to assist with our strategic lawsuits. Interns work on many aspects of litigation, including undertaking legal research, preparing written memoranda, and conducting factual investigation. During the course of the program, students typically work with several of the Club’s attorneys, thus gaining exposure to a wide range of litigation styles. Our interns are encouraged to participate in weekly legal team meetings where we discuss our dockets and strategies.

Job activities include but are not limited to :

• Conduct legal research and factual investigation.
• Prepare written memoranda, public records requests, and draft other legal documents.
• Research prospects for new litigation, including factual and legal claims.
• Assist in the review of legal documents, instruments, and other material.
• Attend court appearances (depending on cases assigned).
• Work on discovery (depending on cases assigned).

The successful candidate must have the following skills and experience :

Compensation

The hourly rate for this position is $18-$20 / hour depending on location.

Academic credit is available, depending on your school’s policy.

This is a category 99, non-exempt, non-represented, temporary position.

Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in theFederal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

Sierra Club values the expertise and talents of foreign nationals. Sierra Club sponsors both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas when certain criteria are met, based on immigration laws and organizational needs. Such sponsorship is at the discretion of the Department Head and Sierra Club People Department in consultation with the employee’s manager. The Sierra Club cannot guarantee the approval of a visa petition. The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce belonging.

To Apply

Please upload your resume and law school transcript with school names and school locations redacted.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. You may leave your degree (e.g.,“B.A. Philosophy”), but please remove any undergraduate and graduate school names. Your school’s name should not be visible anywhere in the resume, including in any email addresses.

This anonymous process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments and mitigating bias in the decision-making process.

The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS / HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis.

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.