Deputy General Counsel job in Washington, DC

Description:

The Deputy General Counsel will be the lead legal advisor to all environmental program Vice Presidents, Managing Attorneys, Senior Attorneys, and other program staff. They will also partner with General Counsel and other attorneys on the team on business issues and data security. The Deputy GC carries their own legal portfolio of matters and applies a legal expert level of knowledge to their work while working with an external network of experts to provide additional support to their work. Tasks include law practice management functions of our public interest law firm, including conducting legal research, assuring compliance with legal ethical standards, assisting in improving lawyer onboarding/training, partnering with other leaders to assure appropriate tracking and reporting of the organization's lobbying activities, and developing mechanisms for compliance in a number of other areas. The Deputy General Counsel will manage the Senior Counsel for Conflicts and Lobbying Compliance. The Deputy General Counsel should have a high level of understanding as to how legal technology is used in litigation. The Deputy General Counsel will have extensive impact on the organization, as the DGC's work will substantially elevate professionalism in the organization over time. The successful candidate should be a good planner, consensus builder, able to persuade others and get projects to a timely conclusion.

The Deputy General Counsel reports directly to the General Counsel who is based in An Environmental Law Firm's San Francisco office.

Responsibilities:
Program Legal Advice (75%)

Partner with other leaders to assure appropriate lobbying registration and reporting in each state and local jurisdiction.
Provide instruction and advice to regional offices on lobbying compliance.
Be primary legal advisor to Program on ethics compliance issues.
Provide legal advice on conflicts.
Conduct legal research on a variety of subjects, interpret laws, rulings and regulations and determine how they apply to An Environmental Law Firm.
Serve as lead legal advisor on projects to improve onboarding of new program lawyers.
Identify topics for appropriate legal compliance training for all lawyers in the areas of ethics, lobbying, c3 and c4 compliance, and other areas where needs are identified.

Supervisory Responsibilities (15%):

Directly supervise the Senior Counsel, Conflicts and Lobbying Compliance Deputy who provides advice and training to program staff on lobbying, lobbying registration and reporting issues, and assists with conflicts and ethics issues.
Contribute to recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Contracts and Risk Management (10%):
Review or draft contracts on an as-needed basis.
Update contract templates as needed.
Consult (and potentially select) external and internal experts.
As needed, select and supervise outside counsel; occasionally function as the client representative of An Environmental Law Firm.
Other job duties as assigned.
Assist the General Counsel with the ongoing identification and assessment of organizational risk exposure, ensure that staff are aware of organizational risks and provide advice and best practices to mitigate risk to the organization.

Qualifications:
Essential Skills and Abilities:

Demonstrated Legal Expertise, Including Significant Exposure to Litigation.
Ability to quickly grasp, research and assess a broad range of complex problems and present sensible solutions and alternatives.
Ability to summarize information and succinctly and clearly communicate analyses verbally and in writing to a range of internal clients.
Willingness to “roll up sleeves” and work with minimal support.
Strong attention to detail and care in executing written work.
Demonstrated integrity, strong work ethic, and sound judgment.
Outstanding communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal concepts into layman's terms and provide informative instruction to groups of staff.
Facility with developing collaborative relationships and managing and working with teams.
Strong ability to juggle multiple projects, prioritize, meet deadlines, and see tasks through to completion.
Ability to leverage technology, particularly database or web-based information platforms.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
Support for An Environmental Law Firm's mission and advocacy-based approach to solving environmental problems.
Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.

Education and/or Experience:
Requirements:

J.D. and California State Bar admission in good standing, or admission to the state bar of the state of residence in good standing.
Minimum of 15 years of successful experience practicing law.
Experience with cost-effective management of outside legal resources.
Experience drafting and revising contracts.
Experience leading projects in a law firm or legal department context.
Solid knowledge of law firm best practices.
Solid level knowledge of legal technology.
Expert level of knowledge about best litigation discovery practices.
Experience in analyzing and addressing legal ethics matter.

Preferred:

Litigation-based practice experience.
Experience with technology used in law firms, including timekeeping and document management systems.
Knowledge of non-profit corporate law in the state of California.
Experience contributing to training and organizational learning.
Experience overseeing key elements of organizational risk assessment and management.
Working knowledge of federal tax law as it applies to 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) organizations in general and public-interest law firms in particular.
Non-profit experience.
International legal experience.