The best job on the planet.
David Henkin
Senior Attorney
Mid-Pacific Regional Office in in Honolulu
Joined Earthjustice in 1990
Lead counsel for
County of Maui v. Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund (S.Ct.)
Melissa Lyttle for Earthjustice
For litigators and advocates who are committed to saving the planet and the people who depend on it, there is no better job than being a Senior Attorney at Earthjustice.
Our 95 Senior Attorneys — and growing — are the premier frontline litigators for Earthjustice and for the environmental movement.
We are building a better future for our planet, one case at a time.
And we want you to join us.
Dominique Burkhardt
Senior Attorney
Florida Regional Office in Miami
Joined Earthjustice in 2020
Burkhardt served as an assistant public defender and practiced criminal and immigration law, prior to joining Earthjustice.
“Whether fighting a pesticide that could harm farmworkers’ health, challenging a polluting incinerator in a Latinx neighborhood, or exposing environmental hazards at migrant detention centers, Earthjustice provides the unparalleled opportunity to fight for environmental and climate justice alongside dedicated lawyers, advocates, and community members.”
Dominique Burkhardt
Senior Attorney
Florida Regional Office in Miami
Joined Earthjustice in 2020
Burkhardt served as an assistant public defender and practiced criminal and immigration law, prior to joining Earthjustice.
“Whether fighting a pesticide that could harm farmworkers’ health, challenging a polluting incinerator in a Latinx neighborhood, or exposing environmental hazards at migrant detention centers, Earthjustice provides the unparalleled opportunity to fight for environmental and climate justice alongside dedicated lawyers, advocates, and community members.”
At Earthjustice, Senior Attorneys have the autonomy and resources to build successful, ambitious cases.
Our Senior Attorneys are fighting at the highest level of our nation’s judicial system. We’re working with our partners and spearheading litigation across the country.
We are the most active public-interest environmental law firm in the country, filing more than twice as many federal cases as the next-most-active environmental plaintiffs’ lawyer.*
* Analysis of federal district court PACER data 2010–2018 by data analytics firm Lex Machina.
Adrian Martinez
Senior Attorney
California Regional Office in Los Angeles
Joined Earthjustice in 2013
Originally from North Carolina, Martinez previously worked as a smog and environmental justice attorney at NRDC.
“At Earthjustice, I fight in court to protect one of our most basic human rights: the right to breathe, unencumbered from filthy air. I gather great inspiration from my clients, who reject the notion that businesses have to make people sick as a necessary by-product of progress.”
— On work to transform the way California uses energy, fighting for zero emissions, from power grid to ports, buses to garbage trucks
Adrian Martinez
Senior Attorney
California Regional Office in Los Angeles
Joined Earthjustice in 2013
Originally from North Carolina, Martinez previously worked as a smog and environmental justice attorney at NRDC.
“At Earthjustice, I fight in court to protect one of our most basic human rights: the right to breathe, unencumbered from filthy air. I gather great inspiration from my clients, who reject the notion that businesses have to make people sick as a necessary by-product of progress.”
— On work to transform the way California uses energy, fighting for zero emissions, from power grid to ports, buses to garbage trucks
Jan Hasselman
Senior Attorney
Northwest Regional Office in Seattle
Joined Earthjustice in 1998
Hasselman has successfully litigated regional and national issues, including listings of salmon under the Endangered Species Act, and coal and crude oil terminals.
“There was a fundamental injustice being perpetrated on the Standing Rock Sioux people. We are going to stand beside them, and fight it. And show the world what was happening.
“It is an honor to represent the Tribe in this historic case — showcasing Earthjustice at its finest: telling our clients' story and helping our clients stand up for their rights.”
— On work as lead counsel for Standing Rock Sioux Tribe v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (D.D.C.)
Jan Hasselman
Senior Attorney
Northwest Regional Office in Seattle
Joined Earthjustice in 1998
Hasselman has successfully litigated regional and national issues, including listings of salmon under the Endangered Species Act, and coal and crude oil terminals.
“There was a fundamental injustice being perpetrated on the Standing Rock Sioux people. We are going to stand beside them, and fight it. And show the world what was happening.
“It is an honor to represent the Tribe in this historic case — showcasing Earthjustice at its finest: telling our clients' story and helping our clients stand up for their rights.”
— On work as lead counsel for Standing Rock Sioux Tribe v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (D.D.C.)
Khushi Desai
Senior Attorney
Community Partnerships Program in Washington, D.C.
Joined Earthjustice in 2010
Desai specialized in plaintiff-side complex civil litigation at a Washington, D.C., law firm, prior to joining Earthjustice.
Khushi Desai
Senior Attorney
Community Partnerships Program in Washington, D.C.
Joined Earthjustice in 2010
Desai specialized in plaintiff-side complex civil litigation at a Washington, D.C., law firm, prior to joining Earthjustice.
Our Senior Attorneys are fearless advocates, with the independence and support to litigate significant cases.
Join us by lateraling in as an attorney with generally six or more years of litigation experience in:
- Government, such as the Department of Justice or EPA
- Nonprofits
- Private practice
What we look for:
- Ability to build and litigate cases from beginning to end, as lead or sole counsel
- Capacity to develop new cases
- Ability to supervise and develop staff
- Commitment to environmental justice and our core values of justice, partnership, inclusion, and excellence
Marisa Ordonia
Senior Attorney
Northwest Regional Office in Seattle
Joined Earthjustice in 2016
Ordonia served at a legal aid organization providing civil legal services to low-income youth involved in the juvenile justice system, prior to joining Earthjustice.
“I am often asked how the EPA can keep delaying a ban on chlorpyrifos when they know about the risks to children. Usually, this is both a legal and a moral question. I have an answer to the first part, but am at a loss as to the second.”
— On work to compel the U.S. EPA to follow the law and science, and ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos
Marisa Ordonia
Senior Attorney
Northwest Regional Office in Seattle
Joined Earthjustice in 2016
Ordonia served at a legal aid organization providing civil legal services to low-income youth involved in the juvenile justice system, prior to joining Earthjustice.
“I am often asked how the EPA can keep delaying a ban on chlorpyrifos when they know about the risks to children. Usually, this is both a legal and a moral question. I have an answer to the first part, but am at a loss as to the second.”
— On work to compel the U.S. EPA to follow the law and science, and ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos
Matt Vespa
Senior Attorney
Clean Energy Program in San Francisco
Joined Earthjustice in 2017
Vespa previously litigated cases with Sierra Club. He primarily practices before the California Public Utilities Commission with a focus on ending California’s reliance on fossil fuels by rapidly transitioning away from gas use in the power and building sectors and to zero emissions solutions.
“When I started this work, clean energy was a sprinkle on top of building polluting gas plants. Now, we’re building a blueprint for how utilities can look to clean energy solutions first.”
— On work opposing the application for certification for the Puente Power Project
Matt Vespa
Senior Attorney
Clean Energy Program in San Francisco
Joined Earthjustice in 2017
Vespa previously litigated cases with Sierra Club. He primarily practices before the California Public Utilities Commission with a focus on ending California’s reliance on fossil fuels by rapidly transitioning away from gas use in the power and building sectors and to zero emissions solutions.
“When I started this work, clean energy was a sprinkle on top of building polluting gas plants. Now, we’re building a blueprint for how utilities can look to clean energy solutions first.”
— On work opposing the application for certification for the Puente Power Project
We’re saving lives and cleaning up the planet.
Join us today.
Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer
As an equal opportunity employer, Earthjustice is committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position.
Fair Chance Hiring
Earthjustice will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, and any applicable local ordinance, such as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act, or the Los Angeles City Fair Chance Initiative. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you.
After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Earthjustice is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.
Our Values
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, inclusion, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected.
Green 2.0 Pay Equity Pledge
As part of Green 2.0’s Transparency Report Card, Earthjustice is committed to ensuring pay equity for people of color.
Live Well, Work Well
Earthjustice offers a competitive compensation plan, as well as a comprehensive benefits package. We pay 100% of all health and welfare benefits premiums for the employee.
Our health coverage includes medical, dental, prescription, vision and alternative care. We are proud to offer a generous vacation, sick leave, and disability benefit package. Additional benefits include retirement plan, flexible spending account, company sponsored life insurance, and more.
Earthjustice also offers six weeks of fully paid sabbatical leave, following 10 years of continuous employment.
As a 501(c)3 organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.