Defense Legal Internship Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position: U.S. Fall Legal Internship
Location: Based in Washington D.C., with remote work available anywhere in the U.S
Reports to: U.S. Staff Attorneys
Pay: Unpaid. ERI is unable to provide a salary, stipend, or housing assistance, but will work withyou to arrange course credit or a stipend through your school
Prerequisite: This internship is only available to law students who can receive course credit fortheir internship from their law school.
Starts: Fall 2026

Application Deadline: Rolling until July 15, 2026

EarthRights International, a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that combines the power oflaw and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment, is seeking fallinterns for our District of Columbia office.

ERI's U.S. Fall Legal Interns are law students able to work full-time or part-time for at least10-12 weeks during the fall semester. Legal interns provide legal research, writing, and programsupport for ERI activities all over the world. Law students may be J.D. or LL.M. students, butmust have at least one year of U.S. legal training by the time of the internship.

Over the past 30 years, ERI has built a reputation as one of the leading legal organizationsrepresenting communities and individuals from around the world whose rights, livelihoods andhomelands are harmed by corporations, financial institutions and governments. Our lawyers haveworked closely with our clients, co-counsel, partner NGOs, campaigners and others to bringgroundbreaking lawsuits and pursue legal advocacy to provide remedies and ensure legalaccountability. Our cases have set legal precedents, brought millions of dollars of compensationto our clients, and changed the behavior of corporations and other institutions; one of our casesinvolving environmental harms to communities in India, Jam v. International FinanceCorporation, was argued at the U.S. Supreme Court and set important precedent for futureaccountability of international financial institutions. Another, Doe v. Chiquita BrandsInternational, resulted in the first U.S. jury finding of liability for human rights abuses abroad.

Legal interns participate in various projects associated with many of our cases, including legalresearch, writing and assistance in all phases of litigation. Interns also contribute to other legalwork including development of new cases, monitoring and exploring developments in humanrights and environmental law, researching and utilizing other mechanisms of corporateaccountability, and helping to coordinate with and assist other groups bringing domestic orinternational cases. Interns are fully integrated into ERI's U.S. legal team and may work with anyof ERI's attorneys and other staff in advocacy and communications programs.

Requirements:

• A demonstrated commitment to using the U.S. legal system to serve vulnerable communities and/or protect human rights and the environment
• Independent and creative thinking skills
• Excellent legal research and writing skills
• Ability to responsibly handle client, partner, and colleague relationships and protect the confidentiality of our work and our communications

Additional desired qualifications include:

• Proficiency in languages other than English; Spanish fluency is highly desired
• Experience in fields related to issues of human rights, environmental protection and indigenous peoples, including regional studies, development, environmental sciences, or others
• Strong interpersonal skills, cultural competency skills, and ability to work in teams
• Experience or interest in working with people from diverse cultures
• A positive attitude

Application Procedures:
The deadline for applications for Fall 2026 is July 15, 2026. Applications are considered ona rolling basis; students are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible.

Students interested in the position of U.S. Fall Legal Intern should submit a cover letter, resume,and a legal writing sample of ten pages or less. Due to the volume of applications, ERI is unableto interview every applicant. We typically conduct virtual interviews.

EarthRights International is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate inits hiring practices, and actively encourages people of color, women, people withdisabilities, and LGBTQI people to apply.

For more information on the work of EarthRights International visit www.earthrights.org