Columbia Riverkeeper is a successful nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Columbia River watershed
Columbia Riverkeeper unites communities to fight for clean water and our climate—and win. Launched in 2000, we have grown into a diverse, respected organization known for combining grassroots organizing and legal advocacy to secure victories for clean water, salmon recovery, and our climate.
Across our campaigns, we promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in environmental decisions and our own actions. This includes working in solidarity with Tribal Nations to achieve common goals.
Career Opportunities
Our team includes community organizers, scientists, communications specialists, and attorneys.
Please check back regularly for future opportunities with Columbia Riverkeeper.
Internship Opportunities
Columbia Riverkeeper has offices in Hood River and Portland, Oregon. Riverkeeper is a leader in high-profile campaigns to protect our region from fossil fuel infrastructure, toxic pollution, the Hanford Nuclear Site, and other threats facing Columbia River communities and salmon habitat.
We’re Hiring:
Summer Law Clerk
🌍 Location: Portland, OR (Hybrid/Remote option available)
💼 Type: Internship / Temporary
💡 Salary: $30 per hour, for a period of 10 weeks. Columbia Riverkeeper is accepting applications for two (2) summer law clerks for a period of 10 weeks during summer 2025. Riverkeeper focuses on giving law students meaningful and varied experiences working with the organization’s staff attorneys and outside counsel to improve legal writing, research, and advocacy skills while learning about laws and advocacy strategies to protect habitat and water quality in the Columbia River.
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Stay Informed about Internship Opportunities
Academic Credit Internships
Columbia Riverkeeper accepts applicants for school-credit legal, community organizing, science, and communications internships on a rolling basis. We also offer paid internships.
You can also follow us on social media to see the latest paid internship opportunities.
School-credit focus areas include:
Community Organizing: Learn from our team of community organizers on strategies for grassroots advocacy spanning our campaigns to protect the Columbia River from fossil fuels to Hanford cleanup.
Water Quality: Support conservation and water quality work by testing, reporting, researching, and writing about toxics and the water quality of the Columbia River.
Legal: Hone your legal skills through investigative research, public participation in environmental regulation, and litigation.
Communications: Develop bilingual (Spanish and English) campaign branding assets through photojournalism and digital content creation, design, editing, videography, evaluation, and reporting.
Positions are full or part-time throughout the academic year and during the summer (minimum 15 hours/week).
Interns support various projects at different stages—from inception to completion. To apply for a school-credit (unpaid) internship, send a cover letter explaining interest and availability and resume to info@columbiariverkeeper.org.
Columbia Riverkeeper is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
