Legal Fellow

Riverkeeper Inc•Village of Ossining, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Riverkeeper is New York’s premier water quality advocate. Established in 1966, Riverkeeper protects and restores the Hudson River from source to sea and safeguards drinking water supplies, through advocacy rooted in community partnerships, science and law. With an annual operating budget of over $5 million, Riverkeeper is a mid-sized not-for profit operating in the Hudson Valley. For more information, visit www.riverkeeper.org. Riverkeeper seeks a recent law school graduate who will contribute to Riverkeeper’s presence and effectiveness in protecting the Hudson River, its tributaries, and the watershed that provides New York City’s drinking water. The Fellowship is a full-time, one-year attorney position with full benefits. Riverkeeper is looking for an attorney with an exceptional commitment to the environment and an outstanding academic and experiential-learning record. Riverkeeper is an equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity. The Legal Fellow reports to the Legal Program Director and works closely with Riverkeeper attorneys and other staff to protect and restore the Hudson River in a manner consistent with climate and environmental justice principles. Riverkeeper’s campaigns are focused on a range of issues, including reducing sewage pollution, fighting new fossil fuel infrastructure in the Hudson Valley, watchdogging the Indian Point nuclear power plant decommissioning, ensuring the remediation of Superfund and other legacy industrial sites, restoring critical habitat and declining fish populations, improving water quality, and ensuring climate adaptation policies are environmentally sensitive.

Requirements

Have a strong commitment to Riverkeeper’s mission and values
Have obtained a J.D. between 2024 and 2026
Be admitted to practice law in New York State, or be eligible to sit for the next administration of the New York State Bar Exam
Demonstrate understanding of federal and state administrative and environmental law
Have excellent writing, research, and communication skills
Be energetic, creative, well organized, independent, hard-working, personable, and have a sense of humor
Be able to maintain a flexible work schedule and be willing to work some evenings, traveling throughout the Hudson Valley for meetings

Nice To Haves

Coursework or experience in environmental policy and/or litigation
Coursework or experience in public interest and oral advocacy
Coursework or experience with the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and/or the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, etc.

Responsibilities

Advance Riverkeeper’s policy goals of fishable, swimmable waterways and clean drinking water.
Be involved in every aspect of our program and gain hands-on experience bringing impact litigation, enforcing environmental laws, investigating pollution complaints, reviewing proposed legislation, regulations, and environmental permits, and drafting legal documents.
Represent Riverkeeper in meetings with government officials, the public, and media outlets.