Animal Legal Defense Fund Pro Bono Program Summer 2027 Clerkships

The Animal Legal Defense Fund Clerkship Program gives law students who demonstrate an interest in animal law the opportunity to work with and be trained by top experts in the field.

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At a glance

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The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. The Animal Legal Defense Fund accomplishes this mission by filing high-impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm, providing free legal assistance and training to prosecutors to assure that animal abusers are held accountable for their crimes, supporting tough animal protection legislation and fighting legislation harmful to animals, advocating for strong enforcement of regulations that protect animals and appropriate regulation of industries that impact them, and providing resources and opportunities to law students and professionals to advance the emerging field of animal law.

Position Term: 35 hours/week for 10 weeks in summer 2027, with a start date at the beginning of June.

Reports to: Managing Attorney

Location: Remote position

Key Responsibilities

The Animal Legal Defense Fund Clerkship Program gives law students who demonstrate an interest in animal law the opportunity to work with and be trained by top experts in the field. Clerks are integral members of a program team and work on projects that further the current work of the program and advance the mission and goals of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Clerks also participate in activities that will allow them to network across the organization with Animal Legal Defense Fund staff and other clerks, and engage them in the mission and goals of the organization.

How You Will Make a Difference: The Pro Bono Program works to expand the practice and understanding of animal law in the legal community. Students will complete research on law firms, bar associations, CLEs, and various opportunities and issues in animal law, such as:

• Landlord, tenant, and other housing related issues
• Animal custody disputes
• Dangerous dog designations and breed-specific restrictions
• Tort law matters and issues of negligence
• Issues related to animals being considered property under the law

Specific responsibilities vary by program and will be further discussed during interviews. All clerks and externs will participate in scheduled networking and engagement activities. Externs may have additional requirements depending on their school’s externship program.

Apply now