Jobs and Student Opportunities 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
Title: Legal Research Fellow I / Fellow, Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative
Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We are looking to fill this role for an October 2026 start.
Position Summary
The Sabin Center seeks to hire an early-career fellow (to be hired at the Legal Research I level) 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 the siting of utility-scale renewable energy facilities and related, transmission and storage infrastructure, 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.
Under the direction of the Sabin Center’s Faculty Director, Executive Director, and Deputy Director, and other RELDI staff, the incumbent will:
- Conduct independent research and write about issues related to siting utility- and community-scale renewable energy projects, including in communities that may not have equal access to clean energy.
- Manage existing, and support the development of new, online resources for researchers, advocates, and others working to advance renewable energy projects;
- Manage and grow an existing network of attorneys and other experts (known as the Clean Energy Siting Legal Assistance Partners (C-SLAP) network) who provide legal assistance and other support to local landowners and community groups;
- Help organize conferences and other events, including meetings of the C-SLAP network;
- 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.
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: $80,000-$95,000
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 submit a cover letter and CV to [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We are looking to fill this role for an October 2026 start.
Title: Legal Research Fellow I / Fellow, Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative
Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We are looking to fill this role for an October 2026 start.
Position Summary
The Sabin Center seeks to hire a Fellow (to be hired at the Legal Research Fellow I level) to take on a leadership role in 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 the siting of utility-scale renewable energy facilities and related transmission and storage infrastructure. 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 Sabin Center’s Faculty Director, Executive Director, and Deputy Director to expand RELDI’s reach and impact. To this end, the incumbent will 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. In particular, the incumbent will:
- Help to develop and implement a plan for RELDI’s long-term growth and sustainability
- Conduct outreach and coordinate with other groups engaged in complementary activities at the national, state, and local levels;
- Conduct independent research and write about issues related to siting utility- and community-scale renewable energy projects, including in communities that may not have equal access to clean energy;
- Contribute to the conceptualization and implementation of online resources for researchers, advocates, and others working to advance renewable energy projects;
- Submit amicus briefs in key cases related to the siting of utility- and community-scale renewable energy facilities;
- Identify, track, and engage in relevant administrative proceedings, including by drafting comment letters, testimony, 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.
- 2-5 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 environmental, natural resources or energy law and policy, will be expected.
Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran.
Hiring Salary Range
$85,000-$100,000
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
Applicants are requested to submit a CV, cover letter, and law school transcript to [email protected] as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We are looking to fill this role for an October 2026 start.
Title: Climate Law Fellow
Application Deadline: January 15, 2027
Position Summary
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law seeks a Climate Law Fellow to be hired at the Legal Research Fellow I level to contribute to the Center’s work on issues related to climate change law and regulation. This is a one-year appointment starting September 2027, 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 climate, 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 mitigation 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
- 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
$80,000-$95,000
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 submit a cover letter and CV to [email protected] by the deadline of January 15, 2027.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Student Internships & Other Opportunities
Title of Internship: Climate Litigation Intern (Fall 2026)
Description: The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law seeks a law student intern to work with the climate litigation team on the management of the Climate Litigation Database, the world’s leading open-access climate litigation resource, as well as on related research and writing projects. The intern will assist with the team's efforts to improve data quality and standardize content across jurisdictions. The intern may also help to identify new developments in climate cases; draft summaries of pleadings, decisions, and other filings in climate cases; and add new cases and case documents to the database.
Skills desired: Legal research and clear writing.
Type of student desired: Columbia Law School student.
This is a part-time unpaid internship and will last from September to December 2026. The selected candidate will work 10-15 hours per week. The position is eligible for pro bono hours.
How to apply: Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to Maria Antonia Tigre ([email protected]) and Margaret Barry ([email protected]). We will accept applications on a rolling basis.
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.