Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) is currently accepting applications for our 2027 Spring Semester Law Clerk Program. Over the course of the semester, law students will use state and federal laws to protect and restore local water quality within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. CLA will work closely with students to meet law school requirements and ensure this educational clerkship meets all conditions for award of school credit.Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) is currently accepting applications for our 2026 Fall Semester Law Clerk Program. Over the course of the semester, law students will use state and federal laws to protect and restore local water quality within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. CLA will work closely with students to meet law school requirements and ensure this educational clerkship meets all conditions for award of school credit.
Additionally, Waterkeepers Chesapeake (WKC), a program of CLA, is seeking a law clerk for the 2027 Spring Semester. WKC supports 16 Waterkeeper programs protecting rivers, streams, and communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Waterkeepers serve as the eyes and ears of their waters: they monitor water quality, identify pollution and public health concerns, and advocate for practical solutions to address complex environmental problems. WKC connects our Waterkeeper members to legal and legislative expertise and helps them develop coordinated strategies to advance clean water and public health.
CLA Law Clerks are given significant responsibility in various tasks including: conducting legal research and writing, providing litigation support, assisting staff in evaluating requests for legal assistance, participating in community events and stakeholder meetings, and thinking creatively and strategically about how to use the law to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.
WKC’s Law Clerk will work directly with the WKC Director and Waterkeepers. The position will involve significant legal research and writing, with a practical focus on applying legal analysis to real-world environmental advocacy. Assignments may include:
All 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/WKC 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. Additionally, for WKC’s Law Clerk, a background in environmental science, engineering, public health, GIS/data analysis, or another relevant scientific or technical field is a plus but not required.
Please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to Jacqueline Goodrum at interns@chesapeakelegal.org. Positions for the Spring 2027 Clerkship programs are filled on a rolling basis. To learn more about CLA, WKC, 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 6 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.
