Environmental Defense Fund

EDF offers internships and fellowships for students and recent graduates in a variety of programs and departments throughout the organization. The ultimate goal of our internship and fellowship program is to provide high-quality experiences (including relevant projects and opportunities for networking) that form the foundation for any individual who is serious about pursuing an environmental career.

Program Overview

EDF’s Healthy Communities impact area is committed to improving the public’s health by dramatically reducing exposures to and health impacts of toxic chemicals and air pollution among communities and individuals that bear the greatest burden of exposure and/or health risk. By advancing scientific insights, policies, and market-based leadership and working with diverse partners and collaborators from companies, researchers, and community-based groups to government agencies and elected officials, we seek to make evident inequities in chemical- and pollution-related health impacts, and to develop, support and implement solutions that promote healthy communities and individuals. 

EDF advocated for over a decade for reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the major US chemical safety law. In 2016, the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, a major overhaul of TSCA, was signed into law, paving the way to a more health-protective chemicals management system for the US. A major priority for EDF Health is ensuring that implementation of the law results in significant reductions in the public's exposures to toxic chemicals and especially to those communities and individuals that bear the greatest burden of exposures and health risk.

Overall Function

The Legal Fellow will help develop and implement legal solutions to protect public health and the environment from toxic chemicals under TSCA. The fellow will work on federal policy advocacy and litigation, contribute to comments and testimony on major EPA rulemakings, and develop public-facing materials and collaborate with EDF allies. The fellow will work within a multi-disciplinary legal, scientific, and policy team within the Healthy Communities program and will report to the lead counsel for Health.

Key Responsibilities

The fellow will, amongst other activities:

• Work directly with the Health Community program’s lead counsel, along with the program’s science and policy experts, to identify and implement solutions to reduce harmful chemical exposure, and to help develop and execute EDF’s legal strategy for strong implementation of the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act.
• Conduct legal and factual research and develop reports in support of strategic decision making.
• Evaluate the health and environmental implications of pending rulemakings and legislation.
• Participate in the development of court filings, such as complaints, briefs, and motions.
• Research and write documents for presentation to federal agencies, such as administrative petitions and legal comments in response to proposals for new regulations.
• Represent EDF at public government agency hearings.
• Develop public-facing documents, such as blog posts or presentations, about legal and policy issues.
• Collaborate with EDF’s public health, environmental, labor, and academic allies.
• Support environmental justice initiatives, particularly supporting EDF’s advocacy for chemical regulation that focuses on communities and individuals who bear the greatest burden of toxic exposures and health risk.
• Participate in advancing EDF’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

Qualifications

We seek recent law school graduates, recent judicial law clerks, and early-career professionals interested in working on cutting-edge and precedent-setting legal and policy issues related to the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act. Other qualifications include:

• A Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited Law School.
• A license to practice law, or be actively seeking admission to the Bar of any state or DC.
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and interest in advocating for environmental and public health protections.
• Interest or experience in administrative and environmental law, the intersection of law and science, and the protection of public health.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret legal data and prepare reports of your findings.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to convey complex ideas.
• An ability to work on multiple projects concurrently, both independently and as a member of small teams in a dynamic, fast-paced, and creative environment.
• Ability to adapt plans and strategies in response to new events and information.
• Self-awareness, cultural competency, inclusivity, and the ability to work with colleagues and partners across diverse backgrounds and experience.
• Some familiarity with chemical toxicity, exposure, and environmental justice desirable.

Location

Washington, D.C. or NYC preferred, with the possibility for other U.S. remote locations

Term

The term for the Legal Fellow position is one year, with a possible extension to two years contingent on available funding. The preferred start date would be September 2022.

Compensation

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization.The annual salary for this role is 84,000 USD.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application, together with a writing sample, unofficial law school transcript, and list of three references. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in environmental law and policy work, and any coursework and professional experience relevant to the qualifications.