Earthjustice is the first and largest nonprofit environmental law firm in the world. Headquartered in San Francisco with nine offices across the U.S., we hire the best and brightest who share our passion for justice and a healthy environment for all people. Our experience and distinguished track record enable us to mount strategic and effective campaigns that achieve significant lasting environmental protection.
Earthjustice has made great strides in opposing dirty energy through our coal-fired power program and has promoted energy efficiency, defended state and regional climate initiatives, and advocated for reforming the grid to promote clean energy, particularly in California and Hawai’i. We are planning to expand our capacity to advocate for a clean energy future in partnership with clean energy advocacy partners and are seeking an experienced staff attorney to lead the effort and build out our clean energy program.
The Clean Energy Attorney will lead a program that develops, coordinates and pursues litigation and other strategies to promote the development and implementation of clean energy policies and practices around the country and to defend such policies from industry attacks. The Clean Energy Attorney will develop strategies with client partners in key states selected based on the prospects for moving toward a low-carbon, smart grid that integrates renewables, manages demand, and enhances efficiency.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Actively litigate and oversee and partner with other Earthjustice and outside attorneys to implement strategic litigation and advocacy to promote clean energy.
- Integrate and align our clean energy work with our programs to reduce the use of dirty energy.
- Work with partners to defend state and regional clean energy initiatives against legal attacks.
- Monitor and help defend against international trade challenges to clean energy initiatives.
- Engage in advocacy and litigation with respect to FERC policies and directions that can move the nation toward a smart, low-carbon grid.
- As the work builds, it could become a program or practice group and the Clean Energy Attorney will serve as program director or practice group chair.
- Over time, the Clean Energy Attorney will supervise one or more likely several attorneys working on clean energy strategies and will coordinate the work of several other attorneys in the clean energy arena.
Requirements:
- Juris Doctorate (JD) degree.
- Licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction where the attorney will be located or be admitted to practice in that jurisdiction within one year of employment.
- A minimum of 8-10 years of litigation experience.
- Demonstrated ability to lead the development of strategic litigation.
- Experience in a leadership or management role.
- Excellent litigation skills, including top-notch legal research and writing skills,
- Proficient at working with technical experts.
- Capacity to think strategically about legal advocacy needs and opportunities.
- Knowledge and experience in energy law preferred.
- Demonstrated commitment to public interest law is preferred.
- Ability and willingness to travel to advocacy proceedings approximately 25% of the time.
- Experience and skill in coordinating program implementation.
- Ability to work collegially with client partners and staff in disparate locations.
This position will be located in San Francisco, Denver or possibly other Earthjustice regional office locations.
We offer a mission and employee-focused work environment and a competitive compensation package including excellent benefits.
To Apply
Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and legal writing sample to jobs@earthjustice.org. Please include “Clean Energy Attorney” in the subject line.
NO TELEPHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, 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, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.