Description

The Northwest Office of Earthjustice seeks an Associate Attorney to join our team.  We opened our office in Seattle in 1987 to enable Earthjustice to take a more active role in preserving the unique natural resources, wildlife, and communities in the Pacific Northwest. Since that time, the Northwest office has undertaken campaigns to protect old growth forests, promote salmon recovery and habitat protection, protect Puget Sound and the Salish Sea and the communities that depend on them, prevent the Pacific Northwest from becoming a fossil fuel export hub, and promote a just transition to a clean energy future, among other things. We continue to expand our climate and clean energy work and our partnerships with environmental justice communities in the Seattle and Portland areas. We frequently work in close partnership with Native American Tribes and fence-line communities. 

Earthjustice is the nation’s leading environmental law organization. Wielding the power of law, Earthjustice partners with our clients to take on the most critical fights of our time — fights to protect the incredible biodiversity and wild places of the planet; to avert climate disaster by transitioning society away from fossil fuels toward clean energy; to safeguard the right of all people to a healthy environment. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

The Associate Attorney position is a three-year position with the potential for extension, designed to help attorneys who are in the early stages of their careers to develop into thoughtful, professional, and effective advocates skilled in the various phases of public interest litigation. As Associate Attorneys gain experience, they gradually take on more independent responsibility for their cases but work throughout their tenure under the supervision of Senior Attorneys, Deputy Managing Attorneys, or the Managing Attorney. Many Associates have gone on to other positions within Earthjustice and with other public interest organizations.

Although the primary focus of the Northwest office is representing environmental and community groups in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California, we often take cases with national scope. For example, the Northwest office leads nationwide litigation focused on compelling full and transparent environmental reviews for projects that harm environmental health and communities, ensuring protection of threatened and endangered species, and banning dangerous pesticides, like chlorpyrifos.  We have a track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections, and we achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Sound like you? 

This is a hybrid (2-3 days per week in office) position based in our Seattle office and requires regular in-person attendance. Our office is located in the heart of downtown Seattle near the federal and state courthouses and the waterfront.  . Our goal is to produce the highest quality legal work in a diverse, inclusive, supportive, and collegial environment.

Responsibilities

Associate attorneys perform a range of litigation and advocacy-related tasks that can include:

• Conducting legal and factual research and preparing memoranda on issues related to ongoing or potential new cases.
• Reviewing and analyzing administrative records and technical documents.
• Drafting motions, briefs, and other legal and factual documents in support of litigation.
• Participating in proceedings before federal and state courts and agencies.
• Working with clients and experts and learning how to handle press work.
• Hiring and supervising law students who work at Earthjustice as interns or clerks.

Qualifications

• Law school graduate and admitted to, or willing to apply for admission to, the Washington State Bar. 
• 0-6 yearsof litigation experience (2026 Graduates welcome to apply) 
• Excellent research, analytic, writing and communication skills.
• Strong work ethic and initiative, and sound yet creative judgment.
• Strong desire to fight for the right of all to a healthy environment.
• Ability to work constructively and in a highly professional manner in a diverse, dynamic, and hard-working team-oriented atmosphere.
• Commitment to public interest work and a passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission, including a desire to fight for the right of all to a healthy environment.
• Emotional intelligence and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals associated with diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed for case work, court appearances, and presentations.

We offer a mission- and employee-focused work environment and a competitive compensation package, including excellent benefits. Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity. As a 501(c)(3) organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

Salary depends on experience and location. 
Salary range for Seattle, Washington: $108,200 - $134,800

To Apply

Interested applicants should submit the following via Jobvite: 

• Resume. 
• One-page cover letter that addresses at least the following subjects: your legal skills; your interest in Earthjustice’s mission and any particular legal, environmental, or social justice issues in the Pacific Northwest; and aspects of your background that show competence to work with diverse clients and colleagues. 
• Writing sample, preferably a legal brief or memorandum that is either unedited or lightly edited by someone other than you. Please include a cover sheet explaining the extent of editing by someone else. 
• Unofficial Law school transcript; and 
• List of three professional or academic references. 

For this position, we are looking to hire a candidate that is available tostartin January 2027. Preference will be given to candidates who apply by October 4, 2026. 

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 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 given 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. 

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