Legal Fellow, Clean Air Protection

Legal Fellows contribute meaningfully to EDF, using a layered approach of regulatory advocacy and community partnership. We aim to make the Legal Fellows’ experience relevant, challenging, and rewarding. Legal Fellows have directly contributed towards landmark cases over the years and have supported activities including U.S. Supreme Court litigation, D.C. Circuit litigation over greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act, major international agreements, guidelines regarding trans-boundary pollution control programs in the U.S./Mexico border region, and projects that work towards ensuring protections for low-income and frontline communities from air pollution. Legal Fellows work in a high-intensity, fast-paced, multi-disciplinary setting to formulate and implement strategies, laws, and policies. The Legal Fellow will work to monitor and defend core climate and clean air protections and policies that advance adoption of clean energy solutions. They will contribute to time sensitive and critical efforts to hold federal government actors accountable for corruption and harmful attempts to weaken such protections. This critical accountability work will include monitoring developments at key agencies and drafting, filing, monitoring, and potentially litigating FOIA requests to obtain government records in the public interest. This work may also include tracking and analyzing the legal impact of actions taken by the White House and federal agencies, to evaluate their impact to climate and clean air protections and laws. This work may also include research and advocacy to bolster core regulatory programs that enhance community safety and environmental protection with regard to energy infrastructure such as gas pipelines. The Fellow will contribute to the team’s work to reduce air pollution from power plants and other major sources through litigation, regulatory advocacy, and litigation. They will report to the Director & Senior Attorney, Clean Air & Energy Markets.

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law or actively seeking admission to the Bar, with background in environment, energy, and/or administrative law.
• A recent Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited Law School.
• Demonstrated interest or experience in community engagement, relationship-building, and/or organizing.
• Excellent legal research, analytical, writing and advocacy skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrate ability to think innovatively and willing to take risks and establish new precedents and models.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret legal data and prepare reports of findings.
• Ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external allies.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a member of teams in a dynamic and creative environment with colleagues and partners of varied backgrounds and experience across multiple time zones.
• Results-oriented, self-starter with the ability to think strategically and work on fast-paced, dynamic issues.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Computer proficiency, experience with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Duration: 2 years, with an opportunity for promotion by second year as attorney pending Bar admission and strong performance review, with anticipated start date of March 2026. Location: Hybrid out of EDF’s office in Washington, D.C., with possibility to work U.S. Remote. Eligibility to work in the US is required for the duration of the fellowship. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job