Environmental Advocacy Extern

Oceana

Washington, D.C., USA 🇺🇸

General Summary:

Oceana seeks an Environmental Advocacy Extern to assist the Legal Department. The Environmental Advocacy Extern position during the summer is designed for a current law school student in their 2L or 3L year of a J.D. degree or a lawyer pursuing an LL.M. degree, who has an interest in environmental law. The Environmental Advocacy Extern will be provided work experience commensurate with the law student’s skills in a variety of aspects of the Legal Department’s work.

The position is based in Washington, D.C. Environmental Advocacy Externs during the summer semester are expected to work weekly hours in accordance with externship program requirements.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

The Environmental Advocacy Extern works closely with the Senior Counsel and Staff Attorney. The Environmental Advocacy Extern may be responsible for the following:

  • Working with a variety of domestic laws, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as international treaties;
  • Developing and supporting strategic litigation;
  • Drafting comment letters;
  • Providing legal advice to Oceana campaign staff;
  • Performing legal and factual research on legal matters related to Oceana’s campaigns;
  • Analyzing legislation related to marine conservation and Oceana campaigns;
  • Helping to implement lobbying strategies;
  • Supporting the environmental advocacy work of Oceana; and
  • Other duties assigned based on the skill set of the law student and prior experience with subject matter areas.

Examples of tasks might include:

  • Participating in regularly scheduled Legal Department and campaign meetings;
  • Drafting legal memoranda and other legal documents;
  • Attending court or Congressional hearings; or
  • Conducting legal analysis on campaign initiatives.

Job Requirements:

Education and Work Experience:

Applicants must be enrolled in an ABA-approved law program.

Skills and Knowledge:

  • Interest in environmental advocacy;
  • Excellent research and writing skills;
  • Adaptable to changing plans in a dynamic work environment;
  • Maturity to support a team effort;
  • Strong work ethic;
  • Good judgment;
  • Strong analytical and organizational skills;
  • Ability to take initiative and be creative in suggesting and implementing ways to accomplish Oceana’s goals; and
  • Computer literacy and ability to use latest technologies in operation in current modern office environments.

Competencies: 

  • Communicate effectively: Is effective in a variety of communication settings: one-on-one, small and large groups, or among diverse styles and position levels.
  • Collaborate: Brings people together to leverage their skills, talent and knowledge to achieve a common purpose. Creates synergy resulting in a combined effort with greater results than what can be achieved by individuals.
  • Resourceful: Securing and developing resources effectively and efficiently.
  • Action-oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.

Compensation:

  • Law School Credit:  Oceana welcomes applications from students in externship programs or work-study programs for law school credit.

Application Instructions:

Please include a cover letter, resume, unofficial or official law school transcript and undergraduate transcript, a writing sample (legal memo or brief preferred), and three references. If at all possible, please include all documents in one searchable .pdf file.

Deadline: 

Summer 2023: January 15, 2023

Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.

Note: Oceana requires all employees to provide proof of vaccination against Covid. Accommodation for new hires who have disabilities that make the vaccine medically inadvisable or those who have a sincere religious belief that the vaccine is impermissible may contact humanresources@oceana.org. Accommodation will be provided only as required by applicable law. 

Oceana’s US offices have operated on a hybrid schedule and staff have been required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home Monday and Friday. Oceana continually evaluates safety protocols and updates our practices on an ongoing basis based on the CDC community level color coding system of green, yellow and red.


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

You ad could be here!