Spring 2027 Legal Externship – Sustainable Food & Farming Program

Overview

The organization is seeking two part- or full-time Legal Externs for Spring 2027 to support the Sustainable Food & Farming Program. This externship is designed for law students who are eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through the externship.

Externs may work remotely within the U.S. or on a hybrid schedule from either the New York, NY or Washington, DC office.

The Sustainable Food & Farming Program engages in litigation and advocacy to improve the nation’s food system, including efforts to reduce pollution from industrial agriculture and accelerate a shift to a climate-friendly system that supports farmers, workers, and neighbors while building resilience to extreme weather events. Work focuses on:

• Advancing climate-friendly agricultural practices and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture
• Reducing air, water, and toxic pollution from industrial agriculture

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of an attorney, Legal Externs will:

• Conduct legal research
• Draft legal memoranda on topics including environmental and administrative law
• Attend team meetings as their schedules allow, to discuss case developments and other topics related to the team’s work

Requirements

• Enrolled in law school as a 2L or 3L during Spring 2027
• Must be eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship
• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and organizational skills
• Familiarity with legal research tools, including Westlaw
• Strong work ethic, initiative, and ability to think creatively
• Ability to work collegially with others and independently
• Must commit to at least 12 hours/week for 12–16 weeks

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of environmental and administrative law
• Interest in public interest law and social justice

Compensation & Benefits

• Legal externs are unpaid
• Academic credit or a graduation requirement must be earned for the externship work

Location

• Remote within the U.S. or hybrid schedule from:
  • New York, NY
  • Washington, DC

Application Details

• Application deadline: Friday, September 18 at 5:00pm PT
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Applications will be reviewed beginning September 21.
• Offers will be extended no later than November 13.

Required materials:

• Resume
• Cover letter (one page) addressing:
  • Why you want to work with the Sustainable Food & Farming Program and any relevant information not fully explained in your resume
  • The number of hours (or a reasonable estimate) you can work each week
  • Confirmation that you can earn academic credit from your law school or fulfill a graduation requirement
  • Any applicable deadlines or requirements relevant to your submission or ability to accept an offer
• Additional documents (upload as files):
  • Recent writing sample (preferably a legal brief or memorandum of no more than 10 pages) with a cover page indicating:
    • The extent to which the writing sample reflects edits and feedback from others
    • Whether artificial intelligence was used in drafting or editing
  • Official or unofficial law school transcript

Finalists will be asked to submit two references (law professors or legal supervisors).

Equal Opportunity / Fair Chance Hiring

• Equal opportunity employer committed to employment practices that provide equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor not related to the position.
• For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
• For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.