Animal Legal Defense Fund Criminal Justice Program Summer 2025 Clerkships

Who We Are: 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 judges and criminal justice practitioners in order to ensure that animal cruelty cases reach just outcomes, supporting effective animal protection legislation, fighting legislation harmful to animals, 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 2025, with a start date at the end of May or beginning of June.

Reports to: Senior Staff Attorneys; Managing Attorneys 

Role Description: The Animal Legal Defense Fund summer 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: 

This position is housed within the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Criminal Justice Program, which: 

• Provides investigatory and trial-level assistance to criminal justice professionals striving to secure justice for animals victimized by crime; 
• Produces amicus curiae briefs in cases implicating the position of animals within criminal law; 
• Supports legislative efforts to improve animal cruelty laws; 
• Educates criminal justice practitioners about the juxtaposition between criminal law and animal law; and 
• Crafts legal arguments calling for changes in how criminal jurisprudence relates to animals. 

Criminal Justice Program externs and volunteers will complete legal and factual research, prepare a variety of written work products, and assist Animal Legal Defense Fund attorneys in both responding to a range of crimes against animals, and broadening the ability of animal law to secure just outcomes for animal victims. This position will involve a variety of projects. Some assignments—such as motions and legal memos—will be responsive to the needs of immediate cases. Others—such as resource guides, position statements, and model laws—will be longer-term efforts to create systemic improvement in how the criminal justice system anticipates, prevents, and responds to instances of unlawful animal cruelty. In addition to the general qualifications listed above, the Criminal Justice Program prefers applicants who have a sincere interest in the criminal justice system and related law. 

Students may apply for more than one clerkship at a time (clerkships may be available with the Litigation Program, Criminal Justice Program, Legislative Affairs Program, Pro Bono Program, and/or Animal Law Program). The Litigation Program and Pro Bono Program have already hired clerks for summer 2025. 

Compensation:

• $20/ hour 
• Paid holidays  

How to Apply:

On our confidential recruiting portal, Paylocity, you will be asked to upload a resume and cover letter. The following additional documents are also required are: 2-3 professional references, law school transcript (unofficial okay), and original writing sample. 

The application deadline is March 10, 2025. Questions may be addressed to Senior Student Programs Attorney Kelly Levenda at klevenda@aldf.org. 

Although applications for paid summer clerkships will receive priority, we will accept applications from students who would like to structure the position as an unpaid externship or student volunteer position instead of a paid clerkship. (Note: Externships are uncompensated. Students may receive academic credit from their law schools for completing externships, but award of externship credits is determined solely by the school. Applicants who would like to structure summer positions as externships should check their law school’s externship requirements before they apply to ensure Animal Legal Defense Fund externships meet their school’s requirements and the Animal Legal Defense Fund is an approved externship placement. Student volunteer positions include students who can receive pro bono credits for their law schools, and students whose schools provide a public interest stipend.) 

Additional Information: 

This is a U.S. based position. Clerks will be required to provide a personal United States address and to work primarily from that address. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is committed to providing an employment environment which is welcoming of persons from diverse backgrounds and free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, and in which all legal rights of our employees are recognized and protected. ALDF conducts all internal and external operations, programs, and employment-related decision making (including hiring decisions) without regard to actual or perceived race, ancestry, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, political affiliation, disability or medical condition (including physical, intellectual, or psychiatric), sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, age, or other protected category, and in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws. 

Consistent with the organization’s mission, Animal Legal Defense Fund offices and events are free of animal products and byproducts. 

 We are Looking for Candidates with: 

• Experience as a rising 3L (will have completed their 2L year or part-time equivalent prior to summer 2025) or LLM student at an ABA accredited law school.
• Eligibility to work in the United States. 
• A sincere interest in animal protection. 
• Superior legal research and writing skills, including the ability to tailor voice and style to various audiences. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• A positive attitude and ability to work cooperatively with others and function well in a mission-driven, team-oriented work environment. 
• A willingness to accept a variety of assignments within the expanding field of animal law. 
• Excellent organizational, prioritization, and time management skills. 
• An ability to work independently and remotely. 
• An ability to use discretion, keeping in mind the confidential and emotional aspects of our work. 
• Access to a computer with internet and Microsoft Suite.  
• Familiarity with animal law, criminal law, or both is preferred. 

We strongly encourage persons from diverse backgrounds to apply.