I'm writing this from a throwaway, as I fear further illegal behavior beyond that I have already experienced from this organization, which, I might add, focuses primarily on litigation. I'm sorry to have to omit details as needed to protect my privacy, but I don't want them going after me and have reason to believe they would. There is, sadly, a lot more I can't share beyond what is here to protect myself.
I want to share my experience as an employee at and knowledge of a nonprofit you probably haven't heard of called Earthjustice. I'm writing this for two reasons: (1) I believe the public deserves to know what happens behind closed doors at nonprofits like this one so they have the full picture before choosing to potentially support them, and (2) anyone who might be considering working in this field should know about it. I've waffled back and forth about whether to post anything for quite a while, but ultimately, I think transparency is important.
Earthjustice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that bills itself as a public interest law firm (a juxtaposition that, yes, creates a lot of tensions) focusing on environmental issues (as you could predict). Within the field, it's a place where idealistic law graduates go to try and help the world. The environmental movement as a whole, including environmental law, has faced serious problems with race and inclusion. I've worked in a bunch of fields, but (this I guess I do have to share) as a non-White person, I have had more issues while in this field than anywhere else. Those issues are ongoing throughout the field.
I worked at Earthjustice as an Associate Attorney (apologies, but I don't feel comfortable sharing in which office or team) for enough time to get a sense for what the organization is like. Earthjustice has had serious issues with the way it treats its junior employees and non-White (people of color, especially women of color) staff for many years and still has huge issues leading to high attrition. It really reached a boiling point around 2018, when women of color circulated a letter to the entire organization about how they were consistently devalued and excluded. The organization was in tumult over the letter. There were additionally some much-discussed scandals in offices such as the Alaska office. Overall, non-White people weren't being valued or promoted (still aren't—take a look at how the organization leaks non-White talent at the associate vs. managing attorney levels). Many junior staff also circulated a culture of respect letter, which asked those in more senior roles to, basically, stop being such jerks to them. Though the organization seemed to take both letters seriously, they are still treating junior staff and non-White staff, including non-White women staff, poorly.
When I showed up at Earthjustice bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I thought it would be an amazing place to work and that if I was good enough, I wouldn't deal with any issues that other non-White employees had faced. That was pretty naive in retrospect. I graduated from a fancy schmancy top law school and consistently performed above what my job description required as the issues started. Even so, over time, I felt more and more powerless as I worked with an attorney at a senior level who constantly devalued my work, criticized it incredibly harshly over very small things or points that really didn't even deserve criticism, and ultimately, decided to deliberately push me out of cases I had been instrumental in developing. I've turned this over and over, and I will say that of course no one's work is perfect, including mine. But I got a lot of outside opinions on the specific issues at hand, and every single person (other than the people creating issues) thought it was madness the “feedback” I got from this person. It was also extremely confusing because I always got high marks on my work across the board with every other attorney, and am currently doing work at an even higher level than I was at the time. But this attorney was adamant that I wasn't worth working with and ultimately refused to even look at me (which is wild). This attorney also started shit talking me behind my back to my boss and began making snarky comments about my performance in group settings. My boss, despite knowing how excellent I was, sided with this attorney (also wild). It's funny how a rigid power structure will mess with people's minds.
This all constituted months of essentially being gaslit (I know the word is overused but I do think it applies here) into thinking I was a trash attorney who didn't even deserve to have a Westlaw/Lexis password. I showed up at a psychiatrist's office to ask him whether he thought I had hidden adult ADHD because I apparently wasn't doing good enough work. He gave me a really strange look and said, “Maybe, but based on the results of this assessment I just gave you, you're severely depressed. How are you even functioning?” By that point, I kind of was but only barely. My credit card bill quickly doubled as I racked up psychiatrist sessions and prescription costs (which are expensive and not exactly easy to pay for on a nonprofit salary). Over the months, I did my best to recover but couldn't feel better until I ultimately resigned. Before doing so, I pursued all the official channels, but all they did was come back to bite me later on.
The previous section I've just written I think is anonymous enough, since I know of a very similar narrative or set of issues happening to at least six other people with a similar job title and set of responsibilities. However, as much as I want to say more about what transpired next, here's all I'll say. Based on my conversations with a lawyer who focuses on relevant issues, I believe Earthjustice violated employment law through how they treated me through this all. I'm very, very sorry that I can't say more. It's a bit anticlimactic since I am very afraid of them, I know, but the impacts have been lasting long beyond the end of my employment there. I'm still working with a therapist and not recovered.
In addition to my experience, I witnessed and heard of senior-level attorneys similarly treating their subordinates, frankly, like trash. I'm not trying to out anyone else, so these are also a bit vague to be anonymized, and I'm sorry for that, but I swear on the well-being of all my current and future pets and all my current and future children that this is completely true. People trash talked others' work behind their backs. People were told to stop going to their affinity group (groups for people of a shared race, etc.) to save time. Multiple people were a consistent problem, driving out many junior employees each, but management and executives always had their back, so nothing ever happened to them. They were even promoted and given pay raises. Meanwhile, others were (certainly, still are) overworked but not promoted or recognized in anything other than a meaningless certificate. Managers would cross the line in unacceptable ways, but no consequences were to be had. HR came through once in a blue moon but was at least sometimes an active problem itself. So many stories were shared in secret about people being driven out of the organization by this senior staff member treating them like dirt, or that one. HR complaints languished. Recruiters were overwhelmed at all the openings due to attrition. People were given the wrong instructions and then blamed when their work product was off track (even if it had followed instructions). People blew up at you for not working on vacations or weekends. People were forced into applying for medical leave (one I know of was denied, and that person was also effectively forced to quit—a not uncommon situation, unfortunately) due to the mental anguish caused by their superiors. Overall, junior employees, pretty much all of whom are so excellent (I can attest to that) were continually devalued, mistrusted, and ultimately, effectively forced to leave. The attrition was so high in the offices of which I had knowledge. Senior staff members would occasionally wonder out loud to me why everyone was leaving, even knowing my circumstances. The lack of self awareness was baffling and disappointing.
So, I can't believe anyone has read this far, and I am so very grateful to each and every one of you who did. I think you have a right to know how people are treated at a place that you might be considering for charitable giving or for employment. I want to stress that not everyone there is a problem. In fact, I met many inspiring people and great friends there. But there are such systemic problems that they really can't keep going on this way. Thanks for hearing me out. I will say more when I have enough money and power to deal with their retaliation. Until then, please help me spread the word since I am obviously very constrained in my ability to do so. I feel I have already said more than I should, so there are questions you may have that I won't feel that I can safely answer, and I'm sorry about that.
I'm thinking of all of you who are in tough situations because of the problematic people or institutions where you work and sending you all my best. You are strong, and you will get through it.