Description:
Earthjustice's Northwest Regional Office is looking to hire a collaborative and experienced Senior Attorney to join the team working on environmental, energy, and human health issues in the Pacific NW. The Senior Attorney will focus on accelerating the shift towards electrification of goods movement, the transportation sector, and associated industries. The Senior Attorney will concentrate on strategy, public advocacy, and litigation in state legislatures and regulatory agencies, Washington's Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC), Oregon's Public Utility Commission (PUC), and state and federal courts to support an equitable transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy.The position is located in downtown Seattle, WA, where we follow a hybrid in-office schedule. It is available to start immediately.
Earthjustice is the nation's leading environmental law organization. Wielding the power of law, Earthjustice partners with our clients to take on the most critical fights of our time—fights to protect the incredible biodiversity and wild places of the planet; to avert climate disaster by transitioning society away from fossil fuels toward clean energy; to safeguard the right of all people to a healthy environment. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C.
The Northwest Office opened in 1987 to enable Earthjustice to take a more active role in preserving the unique natural resources and environment of the Pacific Northwest. Since that time, the Northwest office has undertaken campaigns to protect old growth forests, promote salmon recovery, improve water quality, protect Puget Sound, the Salish Sea, and the communities that depend on them, stop coal-fired power plants, prevent the Pacific Northwest from becoming a fossil fuel fossil fuel export hub, promote an equitable transition to 100% clean energy, fight air pollution, and protect farmworkers and communities from toxic pesticides, among other things. Although the primary focus of the Northwest office is representing environmental and community groups in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California, we often take cases with national and international scope.
As part of our overall docket, we are focused on reducing pollution by transitioning away from combustion and towards cleaner, healthier technologies. To address both criteria and climate pollution—as our climate, health, and justice imperatives demand—we must transform the way we move people and goods, the way we heat our homes and businesses, and the way we produce, process, and assemble goods. The new Senior Attorney will help lead ongoing clean energy efforts and develop new strategies to ensure a just transition to clean.
Our office is located in the heart of downtown Seattle near the federal and state courthouses and the waterfront. Our goal is to produce the highest quality legal work in a diverse, inclusive, supportive, and collegial environment. The Northwest Office has a staff of 19, including 14 attorneys.
Responsibilities:
- Lead strategy and advocacy efforts to electrify goods movement and transportation in Washington and Oregon.
- Work with our policy and legislation staff, as well as clients and partners, to leverage legal advocacy to obtain positive change and results.
- Lead complex climate and energy cases with the full range of litigation tasks, including factual investigation, legal research, discovery, briefing, witness preparation, working with experts, and oral advocacy, before the Washington UTC, Oregon PUC, and state and federal courts.
- Join all Northwest staff in long-term planning, strategy development, goal setting, and work plan management that advances Earthjustice's work.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with new and diverse clients and other partner organizations.
- Serve as spokesperson for Earthjustice, clients, and partners and work with our media team to develop and execute effective media strategies.
- Ability and willingness to travel as needed for case work, court appearances, presentations, coordination with clients and partners.
- Supervise and mentor junior attorneys, interns, and litigation assistants.
- Support and contribute to a positive, respectful, supportive, and collegial work environment that centers equity and justice.
Qualifications:
- Law school graduate and state bar admission. Must be willing to apply for admission to the Washington and Oregon State Bars if not already admitted.
- At least seven years of relevant litigation and advocacy experience is required, working both independently and in a coalition setting. Excellent research, analytic, writing, and communication skills required.
- Background in energy law, including public utility proceedings, climate laws, and the Clean Air Act, strongly preferred.
- Experience related to transportation electrification and regulation of mobile sources is a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with technical experts, especially with respect to new technologies and emerging climate and health threats.
- Experience advocating before state regulatory boards, agencies, and/or commissions; experience working with legislative advocates.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with a diverse set of clients and partner organizations.
- Contributes towards an equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages partnership, active listening, and integrating diverse perspectives.
- Supports Earthjustice's core values of partnership, inclusion, justice and excellence.
- Commitment to public interest work and a passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission, including a desire to fight for the right of all to a healthy environment.
- Creativity, initiative, a sense of humor, and a willingness to have fun.
Salary based in Seattle, WA is $166,700 - $206,200 depending on experience.
We offer a mission- and employee-focused work environment and a competitive compensation package, including excellent benefits. Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer and highly values a diverse set of candidates to ensure we meet the needs of our clients. As a 501(c)(3) organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
For litigators and advocates committed to saving the planet and the people who depend on it, being a Senior Attorney at Earthjustice is the best job on the planet. Learn more about our Senior Attorney careers and work online here: https://earthjustice.org/about/jobs/senior-attorney
Interested candidates should submit:
- Resume.
- Cover letter (2 page max) that explains (1) your experience working on energy and climate issues, including work with communities; and (2) your strategic vision for a just transition to clean energy in Washington and Oregon.
- Writing sample, preferably a legal brief or memorandum that reflects your own work.
Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, inclusion, partnership, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position.
For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.