Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2026 Ridge Hall Law Clerkship for Environmental Advocacy.
Named in honor of CLA co-founder Ridgway “Ridge” Hall, this educational clerkship program trains future environmental lawyers to use state and federal laws to protect and restore water quality throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Over the course of the semester, law students will gain hands-on experience advancing environmental protection through legal research, policy engagement, and advocacy. CLA works closely with students and their law schools to ensure all academic and credit requirements are met.
Ridge Hall Law Clerks are entrusted with meaningful responsibilities, including conducting legal research and writing, providing litigation support, assisting CLA staff in evaluating requests for legal assistance, participating in community events and stakeholder meetings, developing content for our website and newsletter, and thinking creatively and strategically about how to use the legal system to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. Law Clerks will participate in and have access to staff, partner, and stakeholder meetings, webinars, hearings, and phone calls, along with research and writing projects.
Clerkships can be in person or remote. The number of hours Clerks are expected to spend per week working on CLA projects will vary based on the number of hours of credit the student is receiving, with a minimum of 15 hours per week expected. Full time and part time clerkships will be considered.
Candidates must be current 2L or 3L law students with excellent writing and research skills. Experience and/or a demonstrated interest in environmental and administrative law, with a focus on water quality issues, is highly desirable.
CLA is dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace for those of all ages and backgrounds. Chesapeake Legal Alliance is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
To Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to Jacqueline Goodrum at interns@chesapeakelegal.org. Positions for the Spring 2026 program are filled on a rolling basis. To learn more about CLA or our current opportunities, visit www.chesapeakelegal.org.
The health of the Chesapeake Bay has a huge impact on residents’ quality of life, physical health, food supply and economy. Efforts to clean up the Bay began over 40 years ago. However, the largest estuary in the United States continues to suffer death-by-a-thousand-cuts from all directions: polluted stormwater from streets and farms, climate change, deforestation and wetland destruction. Legal action is a key tool in turning the tide.
CLA provides Bay advocates with FREE legal help in many forms: education, pro bono counsel, strategic legal counseling, and policy support. We apply the power of the law in order to achieve healthy communities, resilient ecosystems, and clean water across the Chesapeake Bay region. CLA is the only legal services organization solely dedicated to serving the Chesapeake region.
Over the past 4 years, CLA has secured a sizable multi-year grant, undergone a merger, increased our staff and budget by 50%, and significantly expanded our services. With our increased capacity and our dynamic committed team, we have achieved exponential results in a short time! Therefore, we are seeking a team member who will be integral to making our operations and programs run smoothly and efficiently, and bring impactful initiatives to improve the watershed.
Chesapeake Legal Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace for those of all ages and backgrounds. We recruit, employ, compensate, and promote regardless of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We believe diversity creates an awareness of, and respect for differences, and ultimately translates into increased understanding that makes us better. We further encourage members of communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the environmental movement to apply to join our team.
