Law Associate

The Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) seeks an early career lawyer with strong research and writing skills and demonstrated public interest focus

About ELAW

This is an exciting opportunity to work with leading public interest lawyers around the world to protect the rights of communities and the environment. ELAW collaborates with lawyers representing local communities and NGOs to build a sustainable, just future. ELAW's global partners are bringing innovative legal actions challenging the status quo and addressing complex environmental problems.

ELAW provides legal and scientific expertise and other support to public interest lawyers. ELAW collaborates with a global community of advocates who offer each other solidarity, mutual assistance and inspiration. ELAW team members provide support, connect partners to each other and to other experts, and collaborate with them to share learning and catalyze strategies to enforce environmental laws and pursue environmental justice worldwide.

ELAW’s law team collaborates with lawyers protecting communities and the environment by providing high-quality legal support to their litigation and advocacy. ELAW does not litigate directly.

About the position

The Law Associate provides support to lawyers that includes researching novel issues and writing arguments for a lawyer to include in their own briefing. The focus of this position will be comparative legal research with an emphasis on court decisions and laws from common law jurisdictions. Topics might include decisions related to climate change, biodiversity, ocean and coastal protection, and/or plastic law.

The job will include building resources for ELAW’s website that are designed to support the work of lawyers.

The Law Associate hired for this position will collaborate regularly with other lawyers on the team and will be prepared to contribute significantly to legal briefs.

Ideally, the candidate for this position will be prepared to manage one of ELAW’s legal resources such as the EIA Law Matrix. The job will also include supporting administrative tasks.

Responsibilities and Scope of Positions:

• Legal research and analysis to support lawyers defending communities and the environment;
• Writing memos to present the legal research to partners;
• Contribute to pleadings and court submissions, including Amicus Curiae briefs;
• Share research through presentations when needed; and
• Build legal resources for ELAW’s website.

Who You Are

• You bring exceptional research and writing skills.
• You have graduated from a law school in a common law jurisdiction within the last five years.
• You have experience researching court decisions from multiple countries including the U.S.
• You have experience in research related to climate change, biodiversity, ocean and coastal protection, and/or plastic law in several languages.
• You have experience providing support to lawyers that includes researching novel issues and writing arguments for a lawyer to include in their own briefing.
• You have experience collaborating with lawyers in more than one country from different world regions.
• You excel at managing different types of projects simultaneously, and balancing competing deadlines and priorities.
• You are eager to support a mission-driven global community.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A commitment to fulfilling ELAW’s mission;
• The ability to work successfully in cross-cultural settings;
• J.D. or equivalent law degree;
• Licensed to practice law, or willing to apply for bar membership;
• 1-5 years of relevant legal experience (candidates with more than 5 years of legal work experience will not be considered);
• Exceptional legal research, writing, and communication skills;
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and competing deadlines;
• Ability to positively represent ELAW in a variety of professional settings;
• Ability to work within a small team, as well as independently;
• Professional fluency in English;
• Ability to work well with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and orientations; and
• Flexible approach to working with colleagues and partner lawyers across time zones.

Desired Qualifications and Competencies:

• Additional language skills;
• Initiative to stay attuned to and research emerging issues of law and advocacy;
• Ability to contribute to our team culture by sharing perspectives, seeking and providing feedback, and supporting others;
• Ability and willingness to use technology platforms that enable virtual collaboration;
• Open to international travel;
• Strong editing skills; and
• Experience supervising legal interns.

Location and time commitment: Full time position in Eugene, Oregon. For the right candidate, another location may be considered.

ELAW does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, disability, socio-economic background, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, national origin, ancestry, status with regards to public assistance, or immigration status. ELAW is committed to justice and equity and our outreach, recruitment, and hiring practices reflect our commitment to actively developing the skills of a diverse community.

Salary: We offer competitive NGO level salary and benefits, the specifics of which depend on the location where the successful candidate will be based. We estimate that the full-time salary for a person doing this job from our office in Eugene, Oregon, would be between US$65,000-$75,000 depending on experience and qualifications.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume or CV, and a short, relevant writing sample – as one pdf document.

Application deadline: February 15, 2026

No phone calls, please.