Legal Fellow, U.S. Clean Energy

Location

Any EDF U.S. office location (Austin, TX; Boulder, CO; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Raleigh, NC; San Francisco, CA; Washington D.C.) or U.S. Remote. Fellow supervisor and many team members are in Washington, D.C. Eligibility to work in the U.S. is required for the duration of the fellowship.

Duration

2 years, with an opportunity for promotion by second year as attorney pending Bar admission and strong performance review, with anticipated start date of June 2026 or earlier.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application, together with a legal writing sample.

Program/Department Overview

EDF’s U.S. Legal & Regulatory team engages in strategic regulatory advocacy and litigation to achieve clean and healthy air, drive clean energy progress, and ensure a stable climate for all. We envision a world in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected to the public health and environmental challenges we face, and are engaged in creating durable, equitable solutions.

The US Clean Energy program within the Legal & Regulatory team works to increase the speed and scale of deployment of clean energy resources in the U.S. in order to decarbonize the electric system and enable electrification of vehicles, buildings, and industry while maintaining reliability and affordability. We focus on addressing the barriers that block and delay the construction of clean energy projects and the infrastructure needed to support them, particularly the electric transmission system. The barriers we work to address include insufficient and misdirected system planning, funding and financing challenges, inefficient siting and permitting processes, and biased market structures; as well as efforts to subsidize, prop up, and expand the use of fossil fuel generation and block the development and integration of clean resources.

Overall Function

Legal Fellows have contributed meaningfully to EDF, using a layered approach of regulatory advocacy and community partnership. We aim to make our Legal Fellow’s experience relevant, challenging, and rewarding. Our Legal Fellows have directly contributed towards landmark cases over the years and have supported activities including U.S. Supreme Court litigation, D.C. Circuit litigation over greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act, major international agreements, and guidelines regarding trans-boundary pollution control programs in the U.S./Mexico border region, and projects that work towards ensuring protections for low-income and frontline communities from air pollution. Legal Fellows work in a high-intensity, fast-paced, multi-disciplinary setting to formulate and implement strategies, laws, and policies.

The Legal Fellow, in collaboration with other EDF attorneys, will be responsible for providing legal and policy research, writing, and general assistance to EDF’s Legal and Regulatory team. The Fellow will be part of a the US Clean Energy team, which is focused on driving the buildout of electric transmission infrastructure needed to decarbonize the power system through advocacy for federal, regional, and state regulations and policies that will support transmission buildout and remove barriers to renewable energy development, particularly with regard to matters involving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy. The Fellow’s work will help shape the evolution of regional transmission planning that enables accelerated clean energy integration, as well as managing the growth of data centers and other large energy users in a way that protects ratepayers from increased rates or worsened reliability. The Fellow will report to the Director and Lead Counsel, US Clean Energy.

Key Responsibilities

Tasks will include but are not limited to:

• Perform research to prepare formal and informal written materials on legal and factual issues related to the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the operation of Department of Energy programs, and federal and state siting and permitting laws and regulations.
• Draft filings, including comments and pleadings for submission to federal agencies and pleadings and affidavits for submission to federal courts.
• Participate in meetings with internal and external partners, as well as other stakeholders with interests related to transmission development and interconnection.
• Contribute to whitepapers, blogs, and other EDF publications advancing the discussion on transmission and interconnection issues.
• Coordinate and collaborate across EDF and multidisciplinary teams to ensure success and alignment with strategies, goals, and objectives.
• Participate in advancing EDF’s organizational effectiveness and culture goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
• Additional relevant responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• A recent Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school or actively seeking admission to the Bar.
• Experience or demonstrated interest in administrative law, federal regulatory processes, and electric system law and regulation.
• Excellent legal research, analytical, public speaking, and advocacy skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to use independent judgment and discretion to determine or recommend the best course of action.
• Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with internal and external allies.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a member of teams in a dynamic and creative environment with colleagues and partners of varied backgrounds and experience across multiple time zones.
• Proactive and organized with the ability to balance multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem-solving skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% of the time.

Compensation

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. The annual salary for this role is $84,000.