Description:
Description:Who We Are: The Animal Legal Defense Fund's mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. The Animal Legal Defense Fund accomplishes this mission by filing high-impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm, providing free legal assistance and training to prosecutors to assure that animal abusers are held accountable for their crimes, supporting tough animal protection legislation and fighting legislation harmful to animals, advocating for strong enforcement of regulations that protect animals and appropriate regulation of industries that impact them, and providing resources and opportunities to law students and professionals to advance the emerging field of animal law.
Position Term: 35 hours/week for 10 weeks in summer 2026, with a start date at the end of May or beginning of June
Reports to: Senior Staff Attorneys
Location: Remote position
Role Description: The Animal Legal Defense Fund summer clerkship program gives law students who demonstrate an interest in animal law the opportunity to work with and be trained by top experts in the field. Clerks are integral members of a program team and work on projects that further the current work of the program and advance the mission and goals of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Clerks also participate in activities that will allow them to network across the organization with Animal Legal Defense Fund staff and other clerks, and engage them in the mission and goals of the organization.
How You Will Make a Difference: The summer clerkship provides an immersive experience in the Animal Legal Defense Fund's cutting-edge Litigation Program to protect animals and advance their legal interests. Clerks will complete legal and factual research, prepare a variety of written work products, and work with Animal Legal Defense Fund attorneys in developing new civil cases. Clerks will participate in Litigation Program meetings alongside our attorneys and are encouraged to attend hearings, oral arguments, and other events throughout the summer.
Summer clerks in the Litigation Program conduct legal and factual research and draft legal and other documents in furtherance of ALDF's ongoing and developing civil legal matters. Accordingly, Litigation Program summer clerks' workload consists of multiple assignments spanning a variety of animal law issues and areas of law. All clerks and externs will participate in scheduled networking and engagement activities. Externs may have additional requirements depending on their school's externship program.
Requirements:
We Are Looking for Candidates With:
- Experience as a current 2L (or part-time program equivalent) or LLM student at an ABA accredited law school.
- Eligibility to work in the United States.
- A sincere interest in animal protection.
- Superior legal research and writing skills, including the ability to tailor voice and style to various audiences.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- A positive attitude and ability to work cooperatively with others and function well in a mission-driven, team-oriented work environment.
- A willingness to accept a variety of assignments within the expanding field of animal law.
- Excellent organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
- An ability to work independently and remotely.
- An ability to use discretion, keeping in mind the confidential and emotional aspects of our work.
- Access to a computer with internet and Microsoft Suite.
- Familiarity with animal law is preferred.