Summer Legal Fellowship

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is hiring a legal fellow for summer 2026. The legal fellow will combat the climate crisis by advancing mitigation strategies that reduce near-term risks to communities and ecosystems. Our current priorities are advancing clean heat across the region, defending offshore wind projects, and reducing pollution at two of the largest coal export facilities in the country. Reporting to our General Counsel, the Legal Fellow will also gain experience in internal non-profit legal matters.

About Us

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is the first grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to build and mobilize a powerful grassroots movement and use our proximity to the nation's capital to push for state, national, and international policies that will put us on a path to climate stability. We take on the region's worst climate polluters using many legal and regulatory tactics while advocating for the most effective clean energy policies for our region, the nation, and the world. Learn more at chesapeakeclimate.org.

Diana Dascalu-Joffe worked for CCAN from 2005 to 2015 as our extraordinary staff attorney and grants manager. She helped shepherd CCAN from a tiny staff of three -- working in a backyard shed in Takoma Park -- to the dynamic regional climate group we are today. This fellowship honors her memory by helping law students in the region gain summer legal experience and follow in Diana’s footsteps as a fierce defender of the environment.

Responsibilities of the legal fellow may include

• Learning about the regulatory, legislative, and political processes and the interplay with law and policy;
• Drafting briefs, legal research memos, and regulatory filings;
• Writing articles and fact sheets;
• Commenting on proposed state and/or federal agency regulations or pollution permits;
• Preparing legislative and regulatory testimony and comments;
• Attending state and federal regulatory hearings and meetings with congressional members, state legislators, regulators, and executive branch staff.

Administrative Duties and Team Expectations

You’ll be responsible for a weekly work plan, checking in with your manager to report your progress, and tracking your time and expenses.

Who You Are

• 2L, 3L, or a recent law school graduate in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C.
• Passionate about solving climate change (familiarity with climate issues is a plus, but not required!).
• Able to manage time, work independently, and ask for feedback and support when needed.
• Excited to collaborate with and learn from a team.
• A strong writer and researcher.

The Details

Fellowships begin on May 26, 2026. Fellows at CCAN work 10 to 20 hours per week over ten

weeks. This is a remote position. CCAN’s legal fellowship can be paid or unpaid, depending on your program requirements. We are committed to supporting students in earning credit hours from their respective law schools or seeking fellowships to fund their work with CCAN. Fellows who can be paid will be compensated $25 per hour.

To Apply

Please complete the online application by Friday, February 27, 2026. You will be prompted to answer a series of short questions and asked to submit a resume and writing sample.

CCAN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.