Legal Intern, Climate Risk

The Environmental Defense Fund is seeking a Legal Intern for its Climate Risk team, offering a remote position with part-time hours (10-15/week) for Fall 2026. Responsibilities include legal research, litigation support, and contributing to environmental justice initiatives. Applicants must be current law students with an interest in environmental law and policy. The role emphasizes collaboration and aims to address climate-related risks across various sectors.
LocationU.S. Remote with the option to work in a hybrid arrangement from EDF offices in Boulder, CO, or Washington, D.C. Team members work across the Washington, D.C. and Boulder offices, as well as remotely throughout the U.S.TermFall 2026HoursPart-time (10-15 hr/week)Application MaterialsInterested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application, together with a writing sample and unofficial law school transcript. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in environmental law, policy, justice and relevant completed coursework.Program/Department OverviewThe U.S. Legal & Regulatory team envisions a world in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected to the environmental challenges we face and are engaged in creating durable, equitable solutions. We are dedicated to achieving that vision in our work, helping achieve clean air and a stable climate for all. The U.S. Legal & Regulatory team works out of the Washington, D.C., Boulder, CO offices and remotely.Legal interns on the U.S. Legal & Regulatory team contribute meaningfully to the team’s work securing clean air and climate protections. We aim to make our interns’ experience relevant, challenging, and rewarding. Our interns 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 and 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 vulnerable communities from air pollution. Interns have also contributed to energy regulatory advocacy seeking to prevent wasteful expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure and to facilitate the clean energy transition.Overall FunctionEDF’s Climate Risk team works to reduce climate-related risks and reveal the consequences of climate change across the US economy, with a focus on regulation in the financial, insurance, and energy sectors. Our work focuses on a mix of comment letters, litigation, and advocacy. Our team is collaborative with other environmental NGOs and we attend numerous coalition meetings to drive the identification, disclosure, and management of climate-related risks. We are also cognizant of environmental justice issues, particularly with the insurance crisis, and we work to combat bluelining.Key ResponsibilitiesTasks may include but are not limited to:Conduct legal and factual research on climate risk issues.Contribute to litigation filings and administrative comments advocating for data transparency and environmental protections.Assess the impacts of recent court decisions on EDF priorities.Draft public-facing documents such as fact sheets and blog posts about legal issues.Support environmental justice initiatives, particularly those related to addressing the disparate impacts of climate change.Participate in advancing EDF’s organizational effectiveness and culture goals, so people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included and empowered to address environmental and organizational challenges in ways that align with EDF values.QualificationsCurrent student at an ABA-approved law school.Interest in working on climate-related financial risk issues and insurance law.Demonstrated interest or experience related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as it intersects with environmental law.Excellent written and oral communication skills.Must be well organized, motivated, and detail oriented.Ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines.Ability to work in a team setting and have the ability to work independently when projects are due.Demonstrated initiative and problem-solving skills.Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.Demonstrate initiative and problem solving skills.CompensationThis internship would involve compensation for work paid at a rate competitive with leading non-profits at an hourly rate of $28.57.