2025 Summer Law Student and 2026-27 Articling Student - Halifax

At Ecojustice, we build a case for a better earth every day! We fight, and win, for our planet in court.

Our Mission is why people join Ecojustice. People who choose to join us recognize that this planet is our most treasured inheritance, and it is our imperative to be good stewards for the generations who follow us. We use the power of the courts to defend what we value most. We believe in protecting the environment while having enough time off to enjoy it. If you are courageous, collaborative, and dedicated to the fight for a healthier environment, you will find your people here.

About The Role

If you are a law student who wants to work for a public interest environmental law firm next summer, followed by your 2026-27 Articles, then here is an outstanding opportunity for you to join Canada's legal champion for a healthy environment. We are currently seeking one student to work in the Halifax office for both the 2025 summer term and 2026-27 articling term. Please note that the successful candidate will be expected to be available for the full duration of both these placements.

It will be a learning experience that you will never forget! You will have the opportunity to work along with people deeply passionate about the environment and social justice and contribute to the challenge and complexity of Ecojustice’s work.

As an Ecojustice summer student, you will assist our professional staff by providing legal assistance on environmental law and policy issues by:

• Conducting legal, policy and general research
• Preparing legal memoranda, primarily in the areas of environmental and administrative law
• Responding to inquiries from members of the public about environmental law questions and issues
• Providing general litigation support (assisting in drafting pleadings and submissions, preparing briefs of authorities, etc.)
• Assisting in researching and writing Ecojustice Canada reports
• Assisting with requests for information and reviews under the Freedom of Information Act and Access to Information Act
• Interacting with clients and non-governmental environmental organizations

Role Success

We are currently working to embed our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation into all aspects of our organization. We value candidates who enjoy building meaningful, collaborative partnerships with equity-seeking groups and operationalizing JEDI-R values in day-to-day practices and operations.

Typically, we find that people who succeed in this role:

• Have a demonstrated interest in environmental law and a desire to work in the public interest area
• Are familiar with environmental and administrative law
• Possess excellent research and writing skills

Application Process

Applications must be received on or before January 13, 2025 at 5:00pm AT. To apply, please submit the following materials through our Career page:

• Cover letter and Resume, may be addressed to "Ecojustice Hiring Committee"
• Law school transcripts
• A writing sample, preferably a legal research memo from law school or your previous experience, 7-10 pages maximum
• Three letters of recommendation.

These letters can be submitted with your application or, if your reference prefers, sent directly to the hiring team via email at careers@ecojustice.ca (please request them to input your name into the subject line of the email).

For your reference, for this position we will be following the recruitment timeline as laid out below:

• Application Deadline: January 13, 2025 at 5pm AT
• Scheduling of Interviews: January 28, 2025
• Interview week: February 3-6, 2025
• Offers start: February 7, 2025 at 9am AT
• Acceptance of offer: February 7, 2025 at 9:30am AT

Our Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Ecojustice is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and is responding to the calls for action to further reconciliation.

We encourage applications from people with relevant job-related skills and who come from communities that have been structurally marginalized based on race, religion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. Members belonging to communities that experience marginalization can self-identify during the application process if they choose to do so.

Great Reasons to Join Us

• Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 charities by Charity Intelligence.
• Annual winter break
• 13 public holidays (including National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)
• 4 hours per month of paid personal life organization time
• Additional flexible leave policies that accommodate physical and mental health leave, caregiving responsibilities, volunteering, and other life events.
• 100% employer-paid extended health benefits package, including up to $1500 per year of mental health coverage and employee and family assistance program (during the articling term)
• $500 per year wellness spending account (pro-rated for the articling term)
• Colleagues dedicated to environmental impact through their work at Ecojustice (99% mission alignment rating from internal surveys).
• A culture of collaboration where employees are fostered by their managers (97% manager relationship rating from internal surveys).
• Learning opportunities to further our strategic commitment towards justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.

Our Commitment to Transparency and Workplace Accessibility

As a charity, our value proposition is that of a mission-based organization, offering high-value benefits and perks. We are consistently benchmarking base pay to the non-profit industry and relevant areas of expertise to ensure we are both competitive and fair.  Transparency, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to us. We post predetermined salaries to ensure that the hiring process and compensation are equitable for all.

Ecojustice strives to ensure that our online application system and recruitment process are accessible to individuals with different abilities and encourages candidates to contact careers@ecojustice.ca for any accommodation requests.