The Hiring Process
We encourage applicants interested in our career opportunities and student opportunities to familiarize themselves with Earthjustice's hiring process and tips for success. For all our positions, we seek candidates who have:
- A demonstrated passion for our mission, and
- The “three legs of the stool”:
- Technical Skills – skills and experience needed for the role, such as familiarity with specific technology, legal research, or data analysis
- Emotional Intelligence – experience working well with various stakeholders (i.e., strong communication and collaboration skills)
- Cultural Competency – sensitivity to different cultures, backgrounds, orientations, etc.
If you need reasonable accommodations to complete any aspect of our hiring process, please contact us at jobs@earthjustice.org.
Hiring Process: Career Opportunities
Our hiring teams have different hiring paces. We will do our best to update applicants as regularly as possible. Please keep an eye on your email and let us know if your situation changes at any point. Thank you very much in advance for your patience!
Only applications submitted for current openings through our online applicant tracking system, Jobvite, will be reviewed. Hiring managers will carefully review all the submitted materials to identify candidates who demonstrate passion for our mission and who encompass the “three legs of the stool.”
Selected candidates will be invited for a phone screen. Phone screens are generally 30-45 minutes long. Candidates will be asked to describe their technical skills and answer behavioral questions for the hiring team to gauge their emotional intelligence and cultural competency.
Selected candidates from the phone screen pool will be invited to an in-person or video interview conducted via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Candidates will be interviewed by 3–5 interviewers. Panel interviews are generally 60 minutes long. Candidates will be asked to describe their technical skills and answer behavioral questions for the hiring team to gauge their emotional intelligence and cultural competency.
Some roles will have an additional step in the hiring process. The additional step may be another panel interview, an informal conversation with key stakeholders, a skills demonstration, writing test, etc. Candidates will not be asked to invest more time than the usual length of an interview and will not be given any real Earthjustice assignments to complete.
All finalists will be asked to submit 3 professional references, including at least two former/current supervisors.
The background check will be processed using an external agency and will review driving, county, state, and federal criminal records and verify candidates’ education, employment, and professional license(s) information. Candidates may request a copy of their background check from the external agency.
The conflicts check will be processed by our internal conflicts check team to ensure we comply with the applicable rules of professional responsibility. While we do our best to enact ethical screens and obtain conflict waivers to address conflicts of interest, there may be insurmountable conflicts of interest. If you think your current or prior work may create a conflict or if you are concerned that Earthjustice may not be able to secure a conflict waiver, please notify us as soon as possible during the hiring process.
Once the top candidate has cleared background and conflicts checks, they will be sent a final offer. The offer will confirm the compensation information and note the start date, along with other details.
Hiring Process: Student Opportunities
Our hiring timelines are generally set for each term. Job descriptions will note when hiring teams will begin reviewing applications and by when offers will be made. Please keep an eye on your email for updates and let us know if your situation changes at any point.
Only applications submitted for current openings through our online applicant tracking system, Jobvite, will be reviewed. Hiring managers will carefully review all the submitted materials to identify candidates who demonstrate passion for our mission and who encompass the “three legs of the stool.”
Selected candidates will be invited to a video interview conducted via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Candidates will be interviewed by 2-4 interviewers. Panel interviews are generally 45-60 minutes long. Candidates will be asked to describe their technical skills and answer behavioral questions for the hiring team to gauge their emotional intelligence and cultural competency.
The finalists will be asked to submit 2 references, including one academic and one professional reference.
The conflicts check will be processed by our internal conflicts check team to ensure we comply with the applicable rules of professional responsibility. While we do our best to enact ethical screens and obtain conflict waivers to address conflicts of interest, there may be insurmountable conflicts of interest. If you think your current or prior work may create a conflict or if you are concerned that Earthjustice may not be able to secure a conflict waiver, please notify us as soon as possible during the hiring process.
Once the top candidate has cleared reference and conflicts checks, they will be sent a final offer.
Tips for Success
Learn about Earthjustice and understand our mission, values, history, and work. Review our website thoroughly. Be prepared to share what you know about us and why you want to work here through your materials and during interviews
Our positions require, at least, a resume and cover letter. Other materials that are regularly requested are a writing sample reflecting primarily your own work and either a list of courses you’ve taken or an unofficial transcript. Be sure to read through the job posting carefully to ensure you are submitting a complete application that addresses the responsibilities and qualifications described within the job posting. We also recommend that you have someone review your materials, such as a career service advisor, faculty member, mentor, or peer before submitting them.
Finalists will be asked to submit references. Contact your potential references to ensure you will be ready to send us their information.
Interviewers will use a pre-determined list of questions for all their candidates. As such, the conversation may seem a bit formal, and if the interviewers do not respond at the end of each question, it is not an indication of their thoughts regarding your answers.
We recommend utilizing the “S.T.A.R” method when responding to our behavioral-based questions. Describe the Situation. Task. Action. and Result of the example you are using to answer the question. You may pull from your academic, professional, and/or volunteer experience to provide specific examples demonstrating your skills in collaboration, solving problems, listening, taking initiative, managing projects, building partnerships, continuous learning, and more.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule your interview.
- In-person Interviews: Our offices are generally “business casual” – business casual or business formal attire would be appropriate. Please note that our offices are fragrance-free; kindly refrain from wearing heavily scented products.
- Virtual Interviews: Business casual or business formal attire would be appropriate. Do your best to be in a space with strong internet connection and minimal noise. We recommend checking your surroundings for what may be caught on camera and/or utilizing a virtual background. Promptly contact us if you are experiencing technical issues.
If you are not selected as a final candidate, please do not get discouraged. Each hiring process is individualized to a particular team and each team seeks and prioritizes different qualifications. Many people apply to a variety of jobs and multiple times, especially for our attorney roles. A rejection from one position should not be taken as a rejection from all other and future opportunities.
Keep applying, and keep adding to your set of experiences, knowledge, and skills to strengthen your application. And, please stay in touch by signing up for our job alerts to be immediately notified when new positions are posted. We look forward to you joining us in this fight!
Working at Earthjustice
Hybrid Work
Earthjustice employs a “team-centered” approach to hybrid work, where teams collaboratively shape their unique workflow, including what work location — virtual or in-office — is best for them and the tasks at hand.
Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer
As an equal opportunity employer, Earthjustice is committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other factor specified under applicable laws that is not related to the position.
Fair Chance Hiring
Earthjustice will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, and any applicable local ordinance, such as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act, or the Los Angeles City Fair Chance Initiative. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you.
After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Earthjustice is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.
Our Values
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, inclusion, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected.
Green 2.0 Pay Equity Pledge
As part of Green 2.0’s Transparency Report Card, Earthjustice is committed to ensuring pay equity for people of color.
Live Well, Work Well
Earthjustice offers a competitive compensation plan, as well as a comprehensive benefits package. We pay 100% of all health and welfare benefits premiums for the employee.
Our health coverage includes medical, dental, prescription, vision and alternative care. We are proud to offer a generous vacation, sick leave, and disability benefit package. Additional benefits include retirement plan, flexible spending account, company-sponsored life insurance, and more.
Earthjustice also offers six weeks of fully paid sabbatical leave, following 10 years of continuous employment.
As a 501(c)3 organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
