Jobs and Internships at the Sabin Center
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, offers a variety of job and internship opportunities for students (undergraduates and graduates), recent law graduates and environmental/climate-focused lawyers. If you're interested in the current vacancies, please check out the opportunities below.
Jobs
The Sabin Center seeks a Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative (RELDI) fellow to be hired at the postdoctoral research scholar level (0-3 years of experience) or associate research scholar level (4+ years of experience). For information about the postdoctoral research scholar position, please see below. Information about the associate research scholar position can be found at this link.
Position Summary
The Sabin Center is seeking a postdoctoral research scholar to work with our Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative (RELDI).
Launched in 2019, RELDI works with local residents, community groups, and public interest organizations who support bringing wind and solar projects to their communities. RELDI provides thought leadership and independent research on legal barriers to the energy transition, with a particular focus on barriers posed by local opposition to utility-scale renewable energy facility, transmission, and storage siting. RELDI also leverages the Sabin Center’s expertise and research capacity to support public participation in administrative proceedings and litigation to defend the siting of proposed renewable energy projects, support renewable energy policies that are being attacked, and to oppose local laws and ordinances that ban or unduly inhibit the development of renewable energy.
Responsibilities
The incumbent will work with the Center’s Faculty Director and Executive Director, and with current RELDI staff, to provide thought leadership, applied research, peer learning, and other outputs that will assist advocates and researchers seeking to strategically engage with the planning for and siting of utility- and community scale renewable energy facilities and related infrastructure. Successful performance will require generating original research and communicating research findings clearly and through a variety of media and formats to a range of audiences in a manner that maximizes impact.
In particular, the incumbent will:
- Conduct independent research and write about issues related to siting utility- and community-scale renewable energy projects, including those in communities that may not have equal access to clean energy;
- Contribute to the conceptualization, management, and implementation of online resources for researchers, advocates, and others working to advance renewable energy projects;
- Work with the Sabin Center’s Faculty Director, Executive Director, RELDI staff, and others inside and outside the Columbia community to convene, coordinate, and synthesize a diverse range of research and communications activities related to siting battles and the energy transition;
- Identify, track, and engage in relevant regulatory proceedings, including by drafting comment letters and other documents; and
- Develop presentations and trainings for a variety of audiences and help organize conferences, seminars, workshops, and other events.
This is a one-year position, with the possibility of renewal contingent on funding.
You can learn more about the Sabin Center here.
Minimum Qualifications
- J.D. or LL.M. from an ABA-accredited law school.
- 0-3 years of professional legal experience with a government agency (including through a clerkship), NGO, law firm, financial institution, or law school center.
- Strong academic qualifications and a demonstrated interest in climate justice and equity, and/or in environmental, natural resources or energy law and policy, will be expected.
Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran.
Hiring Salary Range
$78,000-$85,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Application Instructions and Deadline
We strongly encourage candidates to submit a cover letter and CV to [email protected] by November 30, 2025. Applicants with 4+ years of relevant experience are invited to apply as an Associate Research and submit their application through Interfolio at this link.
This is an immediate opening. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law seeks a Climate Justice Fellow to be hired at the postdoctoral research scholar level to contribute to Center’s work on issues related to climate justice and equity. This is a one-year appointment starting September 2026, with an option for a second year.
You can learn more about the Sabin Center here. More information about the Center’s environmental justice work is available here.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of Michael Gerrard, Faculty Director, and Michael Burger, Executive Director, the incumbent will:
- conduct independent research and publish white papers, articles, and other materials on a wide variety of issues related to climate change law, with a special focus on issues related to climate justice and equity;
- contribute to the development and implementation of advocacy strategies to advance climate justice and equity;
- contribute to programs and projects that engage in active law and policy contexts, including relevant regulatory proceedings addressing issues of climate justice and equity;
- contribute to conceptualization, management and implementation of the Center’s web resources, including various databases tracking developments in federal, state, and local climate change law;
- help organize conferences, seminars, and collaborative publications;
- assist with oversight of interns and volunteers, among other projects.
Minimum Qualifications
- J.D. or LLM from an ABA approved Law School
- Strong academic qualifications and a demonstrated interest in climate justice and equity, and/or in environmental, natural resources or energy law and policy, will be expected.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 0-3 years of professional legal experience with a government agency (including through a clerkship), NGO, law firm, financial institution, or law school center.
Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran.
Hiring Salary Range
$78,000-$85,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Application Instructions and Deadline
Applicants are requested to send a cover letter and CV to [email protected] by the deadline of January 16, 2026.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
We are no longer accepting applications for the Climate Law Fellow position. However, we are accepting applications for a Climate Justice Fellow (see above).
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law seeks a Climate Law Fellow to be hired at the postdoctoral research scholar level to contribute to Center’s work on issues related to climate change law and regulation. This is a one-year appointment starting September 2025, with an option for a second year.
You can learn more about the Sabin Center here.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of Michael Gerrard, Faculty Director, and Michael Burger, Executive Director, the incumbent will:
- conduct independent research and publish white papers, articles, and other materials on topics related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including in the areas of energy, environmental, and land use law;
- contribute to the development and implementation of advocacy strategies around climate change mitigation and adaptation;
- contribute to programs and projects that engage in active law and policy contexts, including the Center’s engagement in regulatory proceedings concerning climate change mitigate and adaption;
- contribute to the conceptualization, management and implementation of the Center’s web resources, including various databases tracking developments in federal, state, and local climate change law;
- help organize conferences, seminars, and collaborative publications;
- assist with oversight of interns and volunteers, among other projects.
Minimum Qualifications
- J.D., J.D. equivalent, or LLM from an ABA approved Law School
- Strong academic qualifications and a demonstrated interest in climate justice and equity, and/or in environmental, natural resources or energy law and policy, will be expected.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 0-3 years of professional legal experience with a government agency (including through a clerkship), NGO, law firm, financial institution, or law school center.
Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran.
Hiring Salary Range
$77,500-$85,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Application Instructions and Deadline
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
Student Internships & Other Opportunities
Law Students
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School is seeking several current law students to serve as interns for summer 2025. Legal interns work with the Center’s Faculty Director Michael Gerrard, Executive Director Michael Burger, and current fellows on a wide range of cutting-edge climate change, energy, and environmental law topics. Past summer legal interns have conducted research on the international and U.S. regulation of GHG emissions from shipping, contributed to papers on atmospheric methane removal, and conducted litigation research relating to state-level anti-ESG laws, among many other projects. Internships are full time for 8-10 weeks. Although the Center cannot provide direct funding for summer legal internships, CLS legal interns are able to qualify for CLS non-profit summer funding and may also receive pro bono credit. Non-CLS students may also apply for the summer internship program.
Undergraduate and Master’s Students
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School is seeking a few exceptional undergraduate and/or master’s students to serve as interns for summer 2025. Undergraduate and master’s-level interns work with the Center’s faculty director, Professor Michael Gerrard, Executive Director Michael Burger, and current fellows on a wide range of cutting-edge climate change, energy, and environmental policy issues. The Center does both domestic and international work on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Students will be assigned to projects that are policy oriented, or may work jointly with law student interns on projects with a legal component, and should receive broad exposure to the field of climate change law. Students with some background in environmental policy, energy policy and/or sustainable development are particularly encouraged to apply. Internships are full time for 8-10 weeks. Unfortunately, the Center is not able to provide funding for summer internships. Preference will be given to Columbia/Barnard students.
How to Apply: We are no longer accepting applications.
Visiting Scholars
In order to recognize and enhance work in the field of climate law the Sabin Center on occasion sponsors researchers and scholars who have applied for and been accepted to Columbia Law Schools Visiting Scholars Program. Applicants interested in Center sponsorship may email the Faculty Director or Executive Director to notify them of their interest in sponsorship.