Employment Opportunities
Looking for a job, career, internship, clerkship or fellowship in animal law?
The Animal Legal Defense Fund offers a list of our current employment opportunities plus additional opportunities at various law firms and non-profit organizations across the country.
If you are a law firm or non-profit organizations, you can submit your opportunity and we will consider it for publication on aldf.org.
Opportunities at the Animal Legal Defense Fund
Legal Externship
Nonhuman Rights Project
NhRP Fall 2026 Legal Externship
Position: Fall 2026 Legal Extern
Location: Fully remote
Duration: August/September through December (exact dates dependent on your school’s semester)
Eligibility: Current 2L law students enrolled in JD programs in the United States
Organizational Summary
The Nonhuman Rights Project works to secure fundamental rights for nonhuman animals. Our groundbreaking work challenges an archaic, unjust legal status quo that views and treats all nonhuman animals as “things” with no rights. We work to achieve our mission in three ways:
- Litigation (changing the legal status quo and catalyzing a global conversation about how nonhuman animals are viewed and treated under the law);
- Legislation and Advocacy (building grassroots support at the local, national, and global levels and working to pass the first nonhuman rights laws in the US); and
- Education (raising awareness of the need and basis for nonhuman rights and providing resources to empower others to join the fight).
The NhRP’s litigation and legislation are the first of their kind in the world. Our persistence and bold approach are already changing the legal status quo and have catalyzed a global conversation about how our legal systems view and treat nonhuman animals. As a result of the NhRP’s unique mission and work, courts and legislatures are beginning to recognize the systemic problem of animals’ rightlessness, the suffering it has caused, and the ways it undermines the values and principles of justice––liberty, autonomy, equality, and fairness––on which our own human rights depend.
Our work follows centuries-long global struggles against the denial of human rights based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other status. No one should be denied rights because of who they are––including nonhuman animals.
We are the only civil rights organization in the United States dedicated solely to securing fundamental rights for nonhuman animals.
Externship Responsibilities
Potential externship projects and responsibilities may include:
- Conducting legal research and drafting memoranda
- Surveying case law and synthesizing and summarizing outcomes
- Cite-checking and contributing to the drafting of briefs
- Assisting with case analysis, brainstorming, and problem-solving
- Drafting white papers and sections of law review articles
- Performing research for legislation and public policy priorities
- Drafting blogs and other written work product for communications and media purposes
Qualifications/Requirements for Applicants
- Must be enrolled in an accredited J.D. program in the United States
- Completion of first-year legal courses
- Available to work during United States business hours (ET, CT, MT, or PT)
- Excellent research, writing, communication, and reading skills
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to maintain professionalism
- Attentive to detail with a commitment to accuracy
- Ability to problem-solve and to think creatively in a solution-oriented manner
- Demonstrated interest in animal rights and welfare issues
- Flexibility and eagerness to take initiative on a variety of projects
- Able to work well independently and use good judgment
Academic Credit
Where our program meets your law school’s qualifications and requirements and is approved by your school, academic credit may be provided. Preference will be given to applicants who can obtain academic credit from their schools; however applications will also be accepted from law students looking to volunteer their time in exchange for earning pro bono hours. The externship requirements, including number of hours and weeks, will be individualized based upon school requirements and extern availability.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter describing why they are interested in externing with the NhRP to intern@nonhumanrights.org with “Fall 2026 Extern” in the subject line. Please note in your application if your school has a particular deadline for Fall externship arrangements that the NhRP needs to be aware of.
Application Deadline
Please submit your application by June 12, 2026, 11:59 PM PST. Applicants may be accepted on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged.
The Nonhuman Rights Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer and acts in accordance with applicable laws in all of our hiring and employment practices. NhRP considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender identity, national origin, age, ability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, or any other protected factor under federal, state, or local law.
Contact:
https://www.nonhumanrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NhRP-Fall-2026-Legal-Externship.pdf