NRDC - Yale Environmental Justice Legal Fellow

Overview NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.   Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).   Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org  Position Summary NRDC and Yale Law School are hiring an Environmental Justice Legal Fellow for a two-year fellowship starting in August 2027. For the first year, through August 2028, the Fellow will work at NRDC within its Environment, Equity & Justice Center (EEJC) to provide legal support with and for environmental justice communities across the United States, including but not limited to scoping, shaping, and advancing litigation, as well as legal, policy, and coalition-building strategies to redress environmental harms and secure environmental benefits in environmental justice communities. The Fellow will work closely with, and be supervised by, experienced NRDC attorneys. The Fellow will also collaborate with community-based partners and environmental justice groups externally and with other NRDC Departments internally. The Fellow will be affiliated with one of NRDC’s major domestic offices (New York, Washington, D.C., or Santa Monica) , depending on the Fellow’s preference and NRDC’s needs. During this year, the fellow may be expected to occasionally travel to other NRDC U.S.-based offices. For the second year (August 2028 through August 2029), the Fellow will work at Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, as a clinical legal fellow with the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy (EJLA) Clinic, part of the law school’s Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization. Working with EJLA’s director, Professor Stephanie Safdi, the Fellow will supervise student attorneys in representing community-based organizations, Tribal Nations, residents groups, and non-profit coalitions to advance environmental justice and intersectional concerns such as Tribal sovereignty, environmental protection, public health, civil rights, and participatory environmental governance. Clinic cases may include matters undertaken in partnership with NRDC that the Fellow has worked on during the first year of the Fellowship. In addition to student supervision, the Fellow will participate in clinical teaching, case intake and docket development, and support environmental law and justice programming within Yale Law School and interdisciplinary offerings with other university programs. The fellowship will include engagement in scholarly activities at the law school and trainings in clinical pedagogy and practice through Yale’s clinical program. The fellow will be expected to be in person on Yale’s campus in New Haven, CT, at least three days per week. The Fellow will be employed by the institution where they are based for the year, and will be subject to that institution’s applicable employment policies, including policies regarding benefits, hybrid work, and other HR matters. While at NRDC, the fellow is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035). This position will be open to applications through EOD Monday October 5, 2026. Responsibilities In the first year, this position will work within EEJC to: Develop relationships with communities and work with them to identify opportunities to partner or collaborate; actively engage in existing coalitions and partnerships. Create project plans, track timelines, and determine key deliverables and milestones, while managing workflows and collaboration across multiple staff members. Facilitate and co-facilitate meetings, including creating agendas, taking notes, and capturing takeaways/next steps; follow up with responsible parties to ensure accountability. Screen and develop potential new litigation, including conducting factual investigations and legal and policy research. Write briefs, motions, memoranda, Public Records Act and Freedom of Information Act requests, and other legal filings. Review environmental documents and draft comments under the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act to identify deficiencies in environmental review, build the administrative record, and exhaust issues for potential litigation. Provide legal and policy research, as well as updates around environmental justice issues to members of the team and to partners. Facilitate and engage in communication and follow-up with clients and partner organizations. Represent NRDC at hearings, conferences, coalit