Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food & Farming Program is seeking a talented current undergraduate or graduate student for a Spring 2022 policy and communications externship. The student must be eligible to receive course credit through their program for this role.

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to advance clean energy; and to combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, supporters and citizens to engage the critical environmental issues of our time and bring about positive change. We are guided by a passionate, ambitious vision for the future for people and our planet: until justice stands for all, we will never rest. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Our Sustainable Food & Farming program is spearheading innovative strategies to reduce the climate, health, and environmental harms caused by industrial meat, dairy, and crop production, and to accelerate a shift to sustainable agriculture nationwide. We represent environmental organizations and consumer watchdogs as well as farmworkers and sustainable producers, grassroots organizations, and environmental justice communities. The extern will join a team working to improve our nation’s food system, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural activities, incentivizing climate-friendly practices, regulating pollution from industrial animal facilities, and ensuring safer farming practices for farmers, farmworkers, communities, and consumers.

The policy and communications extern will work directly with our communications strategist, lawyers, and scientist to draft short, compelling, and accurate communications, such as letters to the editor, opinion pieces, and social media posts, in support of litigation and advocacy on a variety of issues. To prepare these communications, the extern will play a role in researching, synthesizing, and summarizing factual and scientific information and articulating our advocacy and legal strategies. The extern will also help identify and follow important relevant policy discussions in news and social media platforms and suggest opportunities to engage. We will make an effort to tailor at least some of the extern’s projects to the extern’s interests.

We seek a talented current graduate or current undergraduate student who is familiar with food and farming issues with the ability to identify, evaluate, and synthesize complex information. The extern should have outstanding research, writing, and oral communication skills and should be familiar with standard social media platforms. In addition, a passion for the environment and a commitment to environmental justice are essential.

Responsibilities:

• Assisting with factual research to support litigation and other advocacy.
• Under the supervision of a communications strategist, scientist, and/or attorney, reviewing complex legal and scientific documents to identify key messages.
• Drafting compelling, accurate communications, such as blogs, letters to the editor, opinion pieces, press releases, and social media posts.

Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program.
• Eligible to receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship.
• Commitment of at least 12 hours per week.
• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Strong work ethic, initiative, and ability to think creatively.
• Ability to work collegially with others and independently.
• Awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
• Academic, professional, or volunteer experience with marketing, communications, design, and advocacy preferred.
• Experience translating long-form narrative into short, compelling pieces and storytelling preferred.
• Demonstrated interest in sustainable food and farming, environmental protection, and environmental justice strongly preferred.

Compensation:

Policy and communications externs are unpaid and must receive academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement for their work with Earthjustice.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should submit the following materials at https://app.jobvite.com/j?cj=oz4Phfwt&s=GreenLatinos:

• Cover letter that explains:
  - Your interest in working with Earthjustice’s Sustainable Food and Farming Program;
  - The number of hours, or a reasonable estimate, you are available to work per week;
  - Whether you prefer to work remotely or would be open to coming into our New York office once we reopen.
  - Confirmation that you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and you are eligible to earn academic credit or fulfill a graduation requirement through this externship; and
  - An indication of any applicable deadlines or requirements that are relevant to your submission or ability to accept an offer.
• Resume
• Undergraduate transcript (unofficial copies are acceptable)
• List of references, including at least one professor and one current or prior supervisor.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies. Earthjustice only considers applications submitted for current openings via Jobvite. Unsolicited resumes or resumes for posted positions that are not submitted via Jobvite will not be reviewed or retained.

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with 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 that is not related to the position.

For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.