Position Description

2011-2012 Public Interest Environmental Law Fellowship

The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) announces its annual fellowship for an outstanding recent law school graduate.

The Institute: ELI en visions a healthy environment, prosperous economies, and vibrant communities founded on just law and policy. To this end, we develop creative and practical law and policy solutions to enable leaders across borders and sectors to achieve environmental, social, and economic progress. ELI builds the skills and capacity of tomorrow’s leaders and institutions; researches and analyzes complex and pressing environmental challenges; promotes and disseminates the best thinking through dialogue and print and electronic media; and convenes people with diverse perspectives to build understanding through debate. ELI works with partners across the United States and around the world. We are independent and non-partisan.

The Position: The law fellowship program is a longstanding component of ELI’s Research and Policy Division. The law fellow works closely with attorneys and other professionals to advance environmental protection by analyzing existing legal tools, developing new ones, and crafting innovative approaches to implementation. This may require considering how environmental protection is affected by other laws and policies that are related to environmental laws, e.g., those governing taxation, energy, and land use. Assignments will include legal research and writing tasks across all ELI project areas, and the law fellow may be asked to make public presentations and assist in facilitating training activities. The law fellow is expected to take on significant responsibility.

Qualifications: The fellowship hiring process is rigorous and highly competitive. Applicants must have a top academic record and possess superior legal research and writing skills. Law review experience is preferred; Spanish language skills are a plus. The fellowship will be awarded to a 2011 law school graduate, or to a candidate who has graduated recently (judicial law clerks are invited to apply). The one-year position begins in September 2011.

Salary: Approximately $35,000, with excellent benefits.

To Apply: Submit a complete application package, which must include: (1) cover letter; (2) current resume; (3) completed “ELI Application for Employment” (download at http://www.eli.org/pdf/ELI_job_application_form.pdf) (job reference #100707); (4) law school transcript; (5) list of three references; and (6) writing sample of approximately 10 (but no more than 15) pages. No phone calls, please. Application packages must be received by ELI no later than 5:00 pm EST on Friday, December 10, 2010. Please note: submissions that are late or incomplete will not be considered. You may submit your application by email (preferred method) to law@eli.org (subject line: Law Fellow #100707), or by U.S. mail to:

Director, Law Fellowship Program (Law Fellow #100707)
Environmental Law Institute
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 620
Washington, DC 20036

The Environmental Law Institute is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunity and to achieving an inclusive, diverse workplace that values every individual. Minority candidates are encouraged to apply.