Climate and Oceans Legal Fellow, ENRLP, Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School invites applications for a full-time resident Climate and Oceans Legal Fellow to join its thriving Environmental and Natural Resource Law & Policy (ENRLP) Program in the fall of 2026.

The Climate and Oceans Fellow will be housed in the Law School and work directly with the ENRLP Director on developing and implementing a variety of marine and climate-related projects, including joint projects with multidisciplinary teams of faculty, researchers, and students in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Our intent is to have the Climate and Oceans Legal Fellow work across the two schools, providing significant high-level climate law and policy analysis in collaboration with University researchers and external partners.

Building from several existing projects, we anticipate a range of climate, sustainability, and resilience work in such areas as coastal and marine protection, renewable energy, forest management, biodiversity and conservation, and tribal stewardship. We approach this work through the lens of inclusion, community engagement, and planetary health. Our overarching goal is to engage with external communities and relevant policy actors at the federal, state, and local level on pressing climate issues, with a focus on facilitating just and equitable transitions to a sustainable future. The Legal Fellow may also have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing clinical work in our robust Environmental Law Clinic.

Core Duties:

• Conduct foundational legal and policy research for a variety of sustainability projects
• Exercise independent initiative and judgment gained from legal experience as a contributor to high-level research projects that focus on problem-solving and evidence-based policy recommendations.
• Adapt and develop a variety of marine and climate-related projects working with a multidisciplinary team. Apply policy, regulatory, and technical analyses to various proffered climate solutions and their impacts/externalities.
• Co-author sections of policy briefs, whitepapers, and research publications as needed, working with external partners (nonprofits, tribes, other academics, etc.) on white papers, policy guidance, regulatory comments, legal memoranda, legislation, and other critical policy and legal advocacy.
• Review and understand scientific papers and analyze relevant data as it informs policy research and recommendations.
• Complete project-related administrative responsibilities as needed.
• Support leadership in working with student legal assistants on legal research and writing.

Fellowship applicants should have:

• A J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and two years of applicable experience, or combination of education and relevant experience in litigation, legislative, or regulatory practice, and/or policy advocacy, including judicial clerkships and fellowships, or a combination of education and relevant experience.
• General computer skills and ability to quickly learn and master computer programs.
• Strong research and analytic skills and professional judgment.
• Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and an ability to complete detailed work accurately.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated track record of community engagement and service
• Membership in the California bar preferred
• Basic knowledge of data analysis and experience working across disciplines is a plus
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills and a collaborative spirit

This position is for a one-year fixed term, with the possibility of renewal. The Fellow will be expected to work in-person on the main Stanford campus.

Applicants should submit a cover letter summarizing their interest in the position and relevant experience, a resume, a writing sample, a list of three professional references, and a law school transcript through stanfordcareers.stanford.edu, referencing job number 108515. Applications should be submitted as soon as possible and will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The expected pay range for this position is $85,276-$99,581 per annum. Due to budgetary constraints, upon hire, this position will pay $86,000. Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford's extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.