Overview: 

The Water Protector Legal Collective (WPLC) is an Indigenous-led nonprofit law firm and advocacy
organization that provides legal support and advocacy for Indigenous Peoples and Original Nations, the Earth, and frontline environmental justice communities protecting sacred lands and waters. Born out of the historic Indigenous-led #NoDAPL movement at Standing Rock, WPLC served as the
on-the-ground legal team protecting Water Protectors in their stand for the water and treaties. Today, WPLC continues this work as a legal holding line for Indigenous Peoples and the Earth. We welcome applicants who share our values and are committed to decolonial, Indigenous-led, and
relational lawyering. Our work is impact-driven, and we strive to foster culturally safe, trauma-informed, and relational legal practices.

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Equal Employment Opportunity:

WPLC does not discriminate with respect to employment, membership, or the provision of services on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, disability, socioeconomic background, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, national origin, ancestry, public assistance status, or immigration
status. We are deeply committed to building a diverse and representative team and strongly encourage applications from those with lived experience in the communities we serve. WPLC is actively working to increase Indigenous representation in the legal field, recognizing that less than 1% of lawyers in the U.S. are
Indigenous, according to the American Bar Association. We aim to create pathways for Indigenous and BIPOC law students and lawyers to engage in movement lawyering and environmental justice work rooted in cultural safety, sovereignty, and self-determination. While our priority is supporting Indigenous and BIPOC candidates, we also welcome strong allies who are committed to working in environmental and human rights law spaces that intersect with Indigenous rights and frontline resistance.
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Open Opportunities: ​

WPLC Staff Attorney Position - DEADLINE: December 5, 2025 

The Staff Attorney will help expand and carry WPLC’s legal docket, providing high-quality direct
representation and legal advocacy for Indigenous Peoples, Water Protectors, human rights defenders and in cases involving environmental law. The Staff Attorney will manage all aspects of legal matters—from intake and investigation through litigation, negotiation, and/or other advocacy—under the supervision of the Executive Director and in close collaboration with other staff, volunteers, and movement partners.

Start Date:       January 15, 2026

Location:    Remote

WPLC maintains a fully remote work environment. We prefer applicants based and licensed in Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota, North Dakota, or Hawaiʻi, but will consider applicants licensed in other U.S. jurisdictions with a willingness and ability to obtain admission where needed (including pro hac vice or other forms of admission, as appropriate). The position requires access to a laptop, phone, stable internet connection; regular availability for remote meetings and assignments; willingness and ability to travel, sometimes extensively and on short notice, including to remote or rural communities; and a positive attitude, self-direction, initiative, strong time management, and reliability are essential.          

Core Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Staff Attorney will:

• Develop and manage a litigation and advocacy docket that advances WPLC’s mission on behalf of Indigenous Peoples, the Earth, and climate justice movements, in close collaboration with other staff attorneys, non-attorney staff, volunteers, and grassroots community partners.

• Ensure alignment with WPLC’s mission: For any proposed new case or project, provide
  research and/or legal memoranda explaining how the matter fits within WPLC’s existing areas of work. New matters are subject to discussion with the legal team and approval by the Executive Director.

• Provide high-quality representation for Water Protectors and human rights defenders, and/or recruit, coordinate, and support cooperating attorneys to ensure representation needs are met.

• Movement support and community engagement: Conduct outreach to Indigenous movements and Peoples across Turtle Island to assess legal needs, develop and present CLEs, webinars, legal trainings, document human rights violations, create systems for legal support and mass defense; and provide legal research.

• Supervision of interns and volunteers: In coordination with the Executive Director, recruit and supervise law student interns, law clerks, and legal worker volunteers on relevant legal work. Coordinate with cooperating attorneys and contract counsel as needed.

• Public Education & Communications: Work to increase awareness of WPLC legal cases and campaigns. When appropriate, engage in public speaking, media, and movement-facing communications on behalf of the organization. Provide edits or pre-publication review to press releases or other public communications as needed.

• Case Management: Maintain accurate case files and documentation, using WPLC’s shared
  platforms, tools, and protocols. Conduct conflict of interest checks for new matters in accordance with ethical and other applicable rules.

• Compliance & Professional Development: Uphold all professional responsibilities, including confidentiality, competence, diligence, and other ethical obligations. Stay current on developments in relevant areas of law through ongoing legal education and training.

• Organizational Participation: Actively participate in staff meetings, legal team meetings,
  co-counsel meetings, and client meetings. Assist with facilitation of meetings and collaborative planning processes as needed.

• Perform other related duties as assigned to advance WPLC’s mission.

 

Required Qualifications:

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school

• Licensed attorney in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• Approximately 3-5 years of litigation experience; candidates with more or less experience who strongly align with the position may be considered.

• Outstanding legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a remote, fast-paced setting

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build trust with
  Indigenous Peoples, frontline communities, and grassroots movement partners

• Demonstrated commitment to decolonial, justice-centered, and Indigenous-led work, and to
  environmental and climate justice, human rights, and movement lawyering

• Understanding of cultural safety and the history of harm experienced by Indigenous
  Peoples, including settler colonialism, pressures of domestic and international legal systems,
  impacts of extractive industry and corporate violence

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of one or more of the following areas:

  • Federal Indian Law

  • Civil litigation or impact litigation

  • Criminal defense and/or mass defense

  • Environmental law

  • Water law

  • International human rights

  • International Indigenous rights

  • Administrative law

• Experience working with Indigenous communities, Tribal governments, or grassroots organizations

• Experience with community legal education, popular education, or movement training

• Additional language skills relevant to communities we serve (i.e., Indigenous languages, Spanish, Portuguese, French)

 

Compensation: This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary of $65,000 - $82,500 per year DOE. WPLC is committed to investing in the education and training, including opportunities for learning and professional development wherever possible, consistent with budget and organization capacity.

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To Apply:

Submit 1) a cover letter and 2) an updated resume or CV to jobs@waterprotectorlegal.org by December 5, 2025 with the subject line: “Staff Attorney Application – Your Name.”

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WPLC Summer Law Fellowships - Priority Deadline: May 1, 2026

We invite applications from current second-year law students, or exceptional first-year law students with strong research and writing skills and a demonstrated commitment to social justice, Indigenous rights, or environmental law, for Summer law clerk positions. 

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Summer Program Details:

Law clerks will contribute 400 hours of legal research, writing, and advocacy support during the summer, working on topics including:

• Federal Indian Law

• International Indigenous rights and human rights mechanisms

• Environmental and climate justice law

• Water law and rights of nature

• Corporate accountability and anti-SLAPP defense

• Movement legal support and protest defense
   

Law clerks will work alongside WPLC attorneys and legal staff and may assist with:

• Drafting legal memos, briefs, and public records/FOIA requests

• Research and writing for domestic and international advocacy

• Monitoring and supporting frontline actions and community legal trainings

• Contributing to movement-oriented resources and legal education tools

• Supporting international submissions (e.g., UPR, Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures) and environmental litigation strategies
   

Clerks will receive mentorship, opportunities for direct engagement with frontline movements, and experience in culturally grounded and trauma-informed lawyering. We strive to foster a space for student growth while also demanding professionalism, initiative, and excellence.

 

Stipend and Credit:

WPLC will provide a modest $1,500 stipend for up to six Summer law clerks. We strongly encourage applicants to seek additional funding through their schools, the National Lawyers Guild, Equal Justice America, or other public interest funding sources. WPLC will support efforts to secure funding or academic credit as needed.

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Location:

WPLC operates in a fully remote setting. Clerks may be based anywhere but must have access to a stable internet connection and be available for meetings and assignments during standard working hours in their time zone. Self-direction, time management, and reliability are essential.

 

Application Deadline:

• Priority Deadline for Summer term: May 1st

• Clerks must commit to completing 400 hours between the end of spring term and the beginning of fall term.

 

How to Apply:

To apply for the Summer Law Clerk Fellowship, please email the following materials in PDF format:

1. Cover letter describing your interest in Indigenous rights, Tribal affiliation if any, your interest in public interest and any experience in environmental and Indigenous rights issues, as well as any scheduling needs or special considerations

2. Resume

3. Writing sample (5–10 pages)

 

Submit applications to:

jobs@waterprotectorlegal.org