Environmental Defenders Office

About

Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is the largest environmental legal centre in the Australia-Pacific, dedicated to protecting our climate, communities and shared environment by providing access to justice, litigation and law reform advocacy. EDO work all around the country, with farmers, conservation groups, Traditional Owners, and people from all walks of life and all manner of places.

Many of EDO's services are targeted at rural and regional communities where the threats of climate change and environmental mismanagement are most keenly felt.

What kind of work?

EDO specialise in environmental law including: - Climate change and energy - Biodiversity and threatened species protection - Aboriginal culture and heritage and access to country - Water management - Urban planning and heritage protection - Mining and coal seam gas - Forestry and native vegetation management - Protected areas

Type of work done by employees: - Legal and scientific advice to people and communities - Legal representation of community groups in public interest litigation - Law reform and policy work - Community education - Holding government and industry to account over matters like development, pollution and mismanagement

Location

Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth

Student Opportunities

EDO offers volunteering opportunities for law students who have studied planning and/or environmental law. Legal volunteers are involved in the following: - Legal research on matters concerning biodiversity, climate change, pollution, planning, mining and water law; - Assisting in the preparation of court documents and drafting letters and legal advices; - Assisting solicitors in case work and litigation in Court; - Engaging in public interest legal environmental work for a broad scope of clients; Drafting submissions and participating in law reform work; and - Assisting solicitors in the preparation of educational materials for the community.

Volunteers must be able to commit at least one day per week for at least three months. You can find more information here: https://www.edo.org.au/volunteer-with-us-2/

Graduate Opportunities

Legal volunteering can count towards PLT requirements. Graduates must have completed planning and/or enivoronmental law units.

Fun Fact / Recent Project

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action EDO is representing Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action who are calling on the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in NSW to develop a climate change policy to regulate greenhouse gas pollutants. At present, the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has no policy to adequately address climate change and does not regulate the state’s emissions.

The Bushfire Survivors For Climate Action are launching this case to encourage – and if necessary compel – the EPA to develop policies and guidelines to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a safe climate. EDO will argue on behalf of the Bushfire Survivors For Climate Action that the EPA is not only explicitly empowered by its legislation to take strong action on climate by controlling the emission of greenhouse gases, it is also required to do this under its own laws.