Legal Trainee / Rechtsreferendar*in in der Wahlstation

We are pleased to offer aspiring environmental lawyers and change-makers the opportunity to spend their elective traineeship at ClientEarth from January 2027 until January 2028. We are a legal and environmental charity that uses the power of the law to fight against climate change and to protect nature and the environment. In Germany, we currently focus on:

• Emissions Reduction
• Fundamental Rights
• Environmental Democracy
• Marine Biodiversity
• Accountable Corporations
• The Sustainable Food System

Trainee lawyers will work on one of these topics. We ask that you indicate you preferences and specific knowledge when applying.

Important dates to note:

• Deadline to submit an initial application: 26th of October
• If your profile passes initial screening, you will be asked to submit additional information in the form of 5 additional questions.
• The deadline to submit your answers to these questions is 2nd of November
• If we do not receive a response to these questions by the deadline we will assume you are no longer interested in the role.
• Interviews will take place the week beginning November 9

Please also review the "Our Hiring Process" section at the bottom of this advert to learn more about the stages involved for this specific role.

Main duties

• Drafting legal opinions and memos
• Legal research on environmental law issues
• Attending meetings with NGOs and other stakeholders

See the job description (below) for a full list of duties for this role.

Role requirements

• Law degree
• Knowledge of either Environmental Law / Public International Law / European Law / Administrative Law
• Fluency (at least CEFR level C1) in English

*You must be currently taking part in a Legal Traineeship (Referendariat) in Germany*

See the job description (below) for a full list of requirements for this role.

Note to candidates: We know that long lists of criteria can be daunting and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you feel you meet at least some of the essential criteria, we still encourage you to apply.

Further Information

Have a question about this job? Please visit our Careers site for advice on applying, FAQs, and more.

Flexible working: We are proud to be a Flexa accredited Employer. Visit our Flexa Employer page for more information on our approach to flexible working. Our flexible working policy allows our people the choice to decide to work from home/another location in the country where their contract of employment is issued for 80% of their month, with the other 20% of their month being office-based See our Benefits page for more as well as our flexible working FAQ.

ClientEarth values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We aim to appoint the most suitable candidate at all times and welcome applications from people from all different backgrounds. See our equity, diversity and inclusion journey page for more.

Please note that ClientEarth is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in the countries listed at the top of this job advert.

ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.