Associate Attorney

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide; Eugene (OR); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Flexible spending account

Professional development assistance

Collaborative culture

Job summary

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) seeks an early career lawyer with strong research and writing skills in Spanish, and a good working knowledge of English. The role centers on comparative legal research to support public interest civil law jurisdictions, especially in Latin America.

The successful candidate will have graduated law school within the last five years, with experience in environmental justice and related human rights law.

Qualifications

• Requires JD or equivalent degree for licensure in jurisdiction.
• Exceptional research, writing, and communication skills.
• Professional fluency in Spanish and working knowledge of English.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research and analysis to support public interest litigation.
• Draft memos and pleadings, with emphasis on Spanish-language materials.
• Contribute to pleadings and court submissions, including Amicus Curiae briefs.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Communication skills

Spanish proficiency

Cross-cultural teamwork

Organization skills

Time management

Independent work

Education

J.D. or equivalent law degree

Job description

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

Link to posting in Spanish: https://elaw.bamboohr.com/careers/50

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 right candidate for this position will bring exceptional research and writing skills in Spanish with at least a good working knowledge of English. The focus of this position will be comparative legal research and writing with an emphasis on supporting public interest lawyers in civil law jurisdictions, especially those in Latin America. This is an entry-level position for a recent law graduate.

The candidate for this position will have graduated from law school within the last five years. The candidate will have familiarity with environmental justice and environmental law (includes related human rights law expertise, etc) and experience researching court decisions from one or more countries in Latin America. Topics might include decisions related to climate change, biodiversity, ocean and coastal issues, oil and gas, or mining. The best candidate will have litigation experience in Latin America, previous research or work related to several of these topics, and demonstrated commitment to public interest work.

The lawyer hired for this position will collaborate regularly with other lawyers on the team and will be prepared to contribute significantly to legal briefs. The job will also include supporting administrative tasks. The best candidate would have experience in managing different types of projects simultaneously and balancing competing deadlines and priorities.

Responsibilities and Scope of the Position:

• Legal research and analysis to support lawyers defending communities and the environment;
• Writing memos to present the legal research to partners, especially in Spanish;
• Contribute to pleadings and court submissions, including Amicus Curiae briefs;
• Meet with partners to learn about their work;
• Share research through presentations when needed;
• Build legal resources for ELAW’s website and other shared resources;
• Collaborate with other ELAW lawyers and others at ELAW to provide the best information to partners; and
• Participate in committees and other work to strengthen ELAW.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A commitment to fulfilling ELAW’s mission;
• The ability to work successfully in cross-cultural settings;
• J.D. or equivalent law degree that is the basic educational qualification for applying for a license to practice in that jurisdiction;
• Licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction, or willing to apply for bar membership or needed requirements to practice law;
• 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 Spanish and good working knowledge of English;
• Legal work experience in Latin America;
• Ability to contribute to our team culture by sharing perspectives, seeking and providing feedback, and supporting others;
• Willingness to use technology platforms that enable virtual collaboration; and
• Flexible approach to working with colleagues and partner lawyers across time zones.

Desired Qualifications and Competencies:

• Additional language skills, especially fluency in Portuguese and/or English;
• Graduate degree in relevant field if law degree is an undergraduate degree;
• Initiative to stay attuned to and research emerging issues of law and advocacy;
• Open to international travel;
• Strong editing skills;
• Experience working at public interest law organizations; and
• Experience managing legal interns.

Location and time commitment:

Full-time position. Open to contracting for remote work.

Our Commitment to Equity

We actively seek applicants from diverse backgrounds and encourage applications from those historically underrepresented in the legal field. ELAW is committed to equity, inclusion, and justice in our work and in our workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, disability, immigration status, sexual orientation, or any other protected identity.

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$70,000 - $80,000 depending on experience and qualifications. If the candidate is in the United States, they will be hired as an ELAW employee. If the candidate is outside the United States, they will be offered a contract role.

For U.S.-based employees, we offer:

• Competitive pay
• Health and life insurance
• Retirement benefits
• Paid time off
• Flexible spending account
• Professional development assistance
• A collaborative, values-driven culture committed to inclusivity and learning

Application deadline: September 15, 2026.