
Our Work
We go to court to defend the planet and its people
Our Goals
Earthjustice is unique in the approaches we use to achieve our goals and the scale at which we work. Wherever you live, we are fighting for you.
In our connected world, each of our goals are deeply intertwined.
End the extraction and burning of fossil fuels
We expose the true costs of the main driver of climate change and public health ills by enforcing pollution control requirements, blocking new fossil fuel infrastructure, and more. See how.
Power everything with 100% clean energy
We are cultivating a zero carbon emissions, pollution-free electricity grid by phasing out fossil-fuel power generation, eliminating barriers to renewable energy, and more. See how.
Secure clean air and water as rights for all
We clean up the air we breathe and the water we drink, by enforcing science-driven laws, compelling agencies to regulate the cumulative impacts of pollution, and more. See how.
Build a justice-centered environmental movement
We support our partners in their pursuit of intersectional justice by enforcing emission control requirements from industrial facilities, and more. See how.
Remove toxic chemicals and products from our daily lives
We enforce chemical regulations to limit exposure to toxic chemicals, litigate to force public disclosure of health and safety information, and more. See how.
Farm sustainably for healthy lives, lands, climate
We make our nation’s food system safer and cleaner by enforcing laws to support climate-friendly and sustainable agriculture, challenging the worst abuses of industrial agriculture, and more. See how.
Safeguard lands and waters
We reduce and prevent unsustainable development and resource extraction, support Tribal sovereignty and stewardship of lands and water, and more. See how.
Protect species biodiversity
We are confronting the major drivers of the decline in nature and protecting imperiled species and the ecosystems that support their lives — and ours. See how.
Our Approach
When we say we’ll sue, it’s not a threat. It’s a promise — a promise that until we achieve a better future for all, our pursuit for justice will never rest.
Nearly 200 Earthjustice attorneys are litigating hundreds of cases to enforce and defend environmental protections.
Some of our cases are fought for decades. A rare few succeed in just days. Most are in between. Still many others never go to court, achieving on-the-ground change through strategic legal and administrative advocacy.
We work exclusively in partnership, because we believe we are stronger together.
Our clients, in court and administrative proceedings, include hundreds of public-interest and community organizations.
We represent all our clients for free. Through our work, we seek to broaden the environmental movement by elevating voices and bringing together allies who support each others’ intersectional goals.
Examples of how we work:
Dakota Access Pipeline

Problem emerges. Energy Transfer Partners proposes the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2014 to transport fracked oil from the Bakken Shale. ETP changes route to avoid threatening Bismarck’s water supply, but in doing so, creates risks to water supply and way of life of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
Standing Rock engages with pipeline company to express opposition. ETP insists on continuing with its plan.
Standing Rock contacts Earthjustice to seek legal representation
Together, Standing Rock and Earthjustice build legal strategy for courtroom and agency advocacy, filing federal lawsuit in 2016
Historic movement rises in solidarity with Standing Rock and Indigenous-led fights against fossil fuel infrastructure projects
District court denies emergency injunction to stop DAPL construction
In a stunning turn, federal agencies recognize Standing Rock’s concerns and deny key pipeline permit
Under Trump administration, Army Corps reverses its permit denial decision and grants DAPL permit
DAPL leaks oil, even before it is fully operational
Earthjustice challenges the illegal reversal
District court finds permit approval violated the law, but allows DAPL to continue operating while Army Corps reconsiders environmental impacts
Army Corps reaffirms DAPL’s permit
Standing Rock and Earthjustice challenge the new Army Corps decision, continuing to push for a thorough environmental review
D.C. District Court again rules in favor of Standing Rock, striking down DAPL’s federal permits and ordering a full environmental impact statement
Review begins of DAPL’s risks and environmental impacts
Earthjustice and Standing Rock defend ruling on appeal
D.C. Circuit rules permit is invalid, but leaves shutdown decision to Biden administration
Biden administration declines to shut down DAPL, even though the pipeline is operating without permits
Earthjustice and Standing Rock continue to fight the pipeline, on legal and policy fronts, to protect the Tribe’s homeland and health
Where We Work
Across the United States and in many countries, our programs and regional offices focus on distinct dockets of regional, national, and international scope.
The Legal Forums
Earthjustice’s attorneys litigate at every level of the judicial system, in administrative law courts, and in public utility commissions where our energy future is being decided today.

The federal court system has three tiers. Most of our national cases start in district court and are resolved in the court of appeals or at the U.S. Supreme Court. We also engage in many state courts.
Winning the legal case is only part of the battle. Earthjustice's litigation work is strengthened by critical legislative work and policy reforms. We bring our legal expertise and amplify our clients’ voices on Capitol Hill and in statehouses across the country.