Job Tag: Law/Policy

The Department of History, Philosophy, and Political Science at Kingsborough Community College invites applications for an Assistant Professor to teach courses in U.S. government and environmental politics in the Political Science program. We are particularly looking for someone who can contribute to expanding department offerings in environmental politics while also building collaborations with the many initiatives across the campus that relate to the environment and climate change. In addition to teaching, the candidate is expected to perform student advisement, contribute to new course development, and serve on departmental, college and university committees.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ability to successfully teach U.S. government and environmental politics courses and PhD in area(s) of expertise; candidates who will have their degree shortly are encouraged to apply.

Preferred Qualifications:

¿ Area of specific specialization is open, but we are particularly seeking someone who can teach environmental politics, as well as other U.S. government courses. We are particularly interested in approaches that incorporate a justice lens to environmental issues.

¿ Experience teaching community college students.

¿ Experience, ability, and willingness to teach a wide range of courses and formats in the Political Science program including evening and weekend assignments and in person, hybrid, and fully online classes.

¿ Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplinary lines for course and program development

¿ Demonstrated experience with high impact practices for community college students, such as (but not limited to) Open Educational Resources and Undergraduate Research.

Ph.D. degree in area(s) of experience or equivalent. Also required are the ability to teach successfully, demonstrated scholarship or achievement, and ability to cooperate with others for the good of the institution.

COMPENSATION

$72,922 – $79,808. Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

CUNY offers faculty a competitive compensation and benefits package covering health insurance, pension and retirement benefits, paid parental leave, and savings programs. We also provide mentoring and support for research, scholarship, and publication as part of our commitment to ongoing faculty professional development.

The California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) is a statewide coalition of grassroots, community-based organizations. We organize among those most impacted by environmental and climate injustice – low-income communities and communities of color – to advance statewide policy that protects the environment and our health. For more information about CEJA, including our core member and partner organizations, please visit www.caleja.org. CEJA’s role is to advance an environmental justice (EJ) agenda in statewide policy, guided by the lived experiences of the communities we serve, and to grow the power and breadth of the EJ movement. Our work is based in the belief that no one EJ organization can win by itself; we need to be in a strategic alliance with each other to address the root causes of environmental and climate injustice.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Legislative Director oversees the development and operation of CEJA’s Legislative Program, including CEJA’s policy advocacy work with the California legislature and various regulatory agencies. The Legislative Director reports to CEJA’s Interim Executive Director, supervises one manager position, and collaborates closely with CEJA’s member and partner organizations. The Legislative Director must be creative and enjoy working within a diverse organization that is mission-driven, results-driven, and community oriented. The ideal individual will exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong communications, administrative, and organizational skills and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The Legislative Director must be able to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.

This is a regular, full-time, exempt, at-will position.

LOCATION/EMPLOYMENT STATUS:

CEJA has a strong preference for a candidate based in Sacramento. This is a hybrid position that requires significant in-person work in Sacramento, as well as occasional travel to CEJA hubs in Los Angeles, Oakland, and elsewhere in California.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Administrative:

Organizational Leadership: Work closely with CEJA’s Management Team, identifying and implementing organizational strategies and ensuring that CEJA is a well-managed organization aligned with its mission, goals, and core values; interact with and attend occasional meetings of CEJA’s Board of Directors.
Staff Management: Oversee the work of CEJA’s Policy Manager, serving as thought partner, mentor, and supervisor. Provide clear and useful feedback and strategic guidance, including thorough regular performance evaluations.
Grants and Development: Support CEJA’s fundraising by contributing to grant proposals and reports related to CEJA’s legislative and policy advocacy work, supporting the execution of grant agreements; build and maintain relationships with key donors.
Fiscal Stewardship: Propose and manage the Legislative Program budget, in collaboration with CEJA’s Finance Director. Monitor spending and compliance, ensuring that staff adhere to the highest possible fiscal standards.

Programmatic:

Campaign and Program Direction: Develop CEJA campaigns and initiatives – with ambitious, attainable, and actionable goals, objectives, and work plans – for the Legislative Program, including its legislative agenda; budgetary and regulatory policy advocacy; in-person and virtual lobbying; and annual legislative scorecard.
Committee Leadership: Oversee CEJA’s Legislative Committee and any other committees/working groups that fall under the Legislative Program.
Relationship Building: Foster strong working relationships with CEJA members and partners, coordinating efforts to maximize the Alliance’s impact. Cultivate relationships with a variety of decision-makers and stakeholders, including elected officials, regulatory agency staff, and environmental justice organizations.
Advocacy: Serve as representative and spokesperson for CEJA and advance CEJA’s legislative and policy goals, including advocating before the state legislature, executive branch, and regulatory agencies; provide media interviews as assigned.
Policy Analysis: Oversee CEJA’s policy analysis of legislative and budgetary proposals, and coordinate CEJA’s work on regulatory matters with relevant Program Directors. Support the Policy Manager in developing landscape assessments for CEJA members and partners.
Civic Engagement Coordination: Work closely with CEJA’s Political Director to coordinate policy advocacy, civic engagement, and electoral efforts, including building CEJA’s political power, cultivating legislative champions, and promoting long-term strategy development and implementation.
Media and Communications: Work with program staff and CEJA’s Communications Director to integrate strategic communications to advance program goals and help strengthen CEJA’s capacity to produce timely and relevant communications materials.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

Commitment: Deep commitment to environmental, racial, social, and economic justice and to CEJA’s mission.
Supervisory Track Record: Successful track record of at least five (5) years as a staff supervisor, preferably in the EJ community; ability to engage, inspire, and maintain transformational partnerships around shared values, purpose, and goals. Emotional intelligence and resilience, ability to engage in courageous conversations and to thrive in a feedback environment, both giving and receiving feedback.
Critical Thinking: Strategic planning, program evaluation, and project management skills, including the self-confidence and capacity necessary to be a lead thinker within the Alliance.
Subject Matter Expertise: Significant policy/program expertise in environmental justice issues and familiarity with California’s EJ policy landscape, community, and advocacy groups; specific expertise in how to successfully and strategically navigate the legislature, ensuring that CEJA’s priorities gain traction with elected officials; deep understanding of how to stimulate change within regulatory bodies.
Advocacy and Mobilization: Outstanding communications skills (written and verbal), with the ability to facilitate understanding across multiple audiences and to navigate and advocate before various policy-making bodies.
Conflict Resolution: Ability to intervene when challenging group dynamics play out, in ways that build understanding, trust, and deeper self-awareness of team members;
Non-Profit Operations: Non-profit financial literacy and a clear understanding of the core functions at 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) non-profit organizations, including governance, operations, development, and communications.
Education: At least a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as Public Policy, Environmental Science, or Urban Planning. Master’s or law degree preferred.

SALARY RANGE: $100,000 – $110,000

ClimateWorks Foundation is a global organization committed to our mission: to end the climate crisis by amplifying the power of philanthropy. Since our founding in 2008, we have awarded over $1.7 billion in grants to more than 850 organizations advancing climate solutions worldwide. We helped grow the field of climate philanthropy to where it stands today, establishing infrastructure, global networks, and momentum for continued growth.

Job Summary

The Legal Director is responsible for internal legal counsel work and leading on enterprise risk management in a dynamic, collaborative, global, mission-based organization. The position resides within the Finance & Administration team and reports to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Essential Tasks

Provide Legal Advice and Representation

â— Provide strategic legal advice and consultation on compliance, governance, employment, intellectual property, and other legal matters.

â— Provide legal representation to ClimateWorks and support staff by providing counsel on a variety of complex issues. Represent ClimateWorks in interactions with individuals and external organizations.

Lead Risk Management

â— Lead a cross-functional Enterprise Risk Management team responsible for the annual survey of the risk landscape and for supporting teams across the organization in identifying risks and designing risk responses and actions.

â— Track risk and compliance inquiries/issues, recommend solutions, and escalate issues as appropriate.

Manage Relationships with Outside Counsel

â— Build and maintain strong relationships with outside counsel, including general counsel (both domestic and country-specific where applicable), employment counsel, and trademark counsel.

â— Work with outside counsel and cross-functional teams on any crisis communications issues that may arise.

â— Collaborate with outside counsel and leaders of the Human Resources team regarding employment law matters, including internal investigations.

Compliance and Training

â— Keep current on new and emerging laws, policy developments, legal trends, and best practices related to compliance programs, with a focus on those relating to tax-exempt organizations.

â— Assist in developing and delivering training on legal issues, including internal policies and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Assist in updating, creating, and leading new training sessions and offer solutions to help staff achieve desired outcomes.

Support Global Operations

â— Support global grantmaking and other global operational activities.

â— Lead on drafting and revising, as needed, cooperative and shared service agreements with key partners.

â— Review and revise, as needed, template documents, legal policies and procedures, and operational policies, in coordination with policy leads and external counsel.

Required Qualifications

â— Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited law school, with active bar membership.

â— Minimum of ten years’ legal experience in U.S. corporate and/or contract law.

â— Demonstrable legal analytical skills, business acumen and expertise in the following areas:

â—‹ Compliance and rules applicable to non-profit, charitable organizations in the US and in foreign jurisdictions.

â—‹ Enterprise risk management.

â—‹ Employment law.

â— Experience advising senior management of international organizations.

â— Demonstrated ability to communicate legal concepts and analysis effectively to non-lawyers.

Preferred Qualifications

â— Experience serving as in-house legal counsel for an organization, ideally a non-profit organization.

â— Strong project management skills.

Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) is seeking a Senior Attorney to join our team working to protect New England’s environment for all people. The Senior Attorney will work in CLF’s Clean Air & Water (CAW) team and will be based in Boston, MA with some opportunity for remote and flexible work.

The Senior Attorney will work on litigation across program priorities, as well as promote solutions to the region’s biggest environmental challenges using policy tools. The work will focus on Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act enforcement cases, but lawsuits in federal court may include claims stemming from violations of other federal and state statutes and regulations. The goal is to protect communities and their local environments, especially historically disadvantaged ones, from contamination.

What you’ll do

Devise and execute legal strategies for achieving CLF’s advocacy goals;
Represent CLF and other parties in litigation and administrative proceedings;
Negotiate civil penalties, injunctive relief, and fee and cost recovery;
Advise CLF and community and advocacy groups on legal and policy matters;
Lead program teams, supervise and mentor junior advocates and interns;
Serve as a senior member of the team, acting as a lead on cases and as a resource to other team members;
Build alliances and coalitions among parties that may include community groups, public officials, business interests, and other organizations;

Write public educational materials, articles, opinion pieces and communicate about advocacy work through news and social media outlets;
Contribute to the health of our organizational community and its smooth operation;

Advise and assist CLF’s communications team in delivering advocacy news and key messages to the press, our members, and the public;
Occasionally advise and assist CLF’s development team with fundraising efforts;
Prepare research reports, memos, and presentations;

Contribute to CLF’s strategic priorities and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and organizational excellence; and

Other duties as specified.

What you’ll need

We are looking for a motivated and mature self-starter that is able to work both independently and as a productive team member. To be successful in this role, you’ll need:

At least 7 years of relevant experience practicing law, particularly litigation;
A passion for and commitment to the environment, public health, and/or social justice;
Excellent analytical skills and the ability to put your analysis into writing that is easily understood;
Excellent oral and written communication skills;
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills;
Ability to take initiative, solve problems, assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities in a fast-paced environment;
Commitment to developing new skills and responsibilities;
Commitment to working collaboratively with a diverse group of colleagues and partners;

Passion for CLF’s mission;
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and
A law degree and active bar membership in good standing in any state (New England state is preferred).

Building on thirty years of clean water advocacy within the Potomac River watershed, the Virginia Policy Director will increase Potomac Conservancy’s programmatic impact and grassroots capacity by advocating for public policies on the local and state level that protect clean water and the Potomac River. This new position will also play an important role in launching the next exciting phase of Potomac Conservancy’s clean water strategy, which prioritizes the nexus of clean water and environmental justice.

The Virginia Policy Director will have significant interaction with elected officials, relevant government agencies, community leaders, and other decision-makers as well as serve as the primary liaison with partner organizations and coalitions in the policy space. The Virginia Director is also responsible for determining the use of advocacy tools that empower communities to take action.

Potomac Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust and clean water leader in the Potomac River region. We’re committed to restoring the Potomac to full health for the five million people who rely on the river for drinking water, quality of life, and outdoor enjoyment. By protecting and restoring natural areas, we reduce water pollution, stop reckless deforestation/habitat destruction, and strengthen our community’s defenses against the climate crisis. Our impassioned base of 30,000 supporters empowers us to conserve and expand streamside forests, pass water protection laws, and restore habitat, recreation areas, and shorelines.

Specific Duties:

Direct Advocacy (55%):

Advocate for legislation, funding, and regulations supporting Potomac Conservancy policy priorities, including but not limited to clean water protections, environmental justice, ecological restoration (forest protection and restoration), outdoor recreation and climate change.
Track, review, analyze, and formulate organizational positions on proposed clean water laws, government funding proposals, and regulations.
Represent Potomac Conservancy on policy issues primarily at the state and local level in Virginia through meetings and committee hearings, via written correspondence and public testimony.
Strengthen organizational capacity for advocacy initiatives through the establishment, leadership, participation in, and strengthening of partnerships and coalitions.

Grassroots Advocacy and Communication (20%):

Work with community leaders and other regional and local experts to understand the needs and opportunities for progress on clean water issues, and meeting with and consulting with people throughout the communities relevant to program goals.
Contribute to the development and implementation of grassroots advocacy campaigns working with the communications team and other staff.
Develop and supervise the development of advocacy-related content for the Conservancy’s Website, social media, Calls to Action, and other publications and reports in coordination with the Digital Grassroots Director.

Organizational Support (20%):

Participate in public policy program planning.

o Annually:

Provide input on 4-year Public Policy strategy and plan in alignment with the 5 organizational strategies (Protect, Restore, Public Funding, Community Support, and Durable Organization)
Assist with the development of annual budget

o Quarterly:

Actively participate in-person in quarterly program lead strategy sessions.
Actively participate virtually in whole organization Objective and Key Result review.
Provide staff support and strategic leadership to the board and Potomac Conservancy’s public policy committee.

o Monthly:

Oversee Virginia Public Policy progress on Key Results.
Contribute to whole organization Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) work.
Meeting regularly with Public Policy Conservation Director to share updates on Virginia policy and learn about federal updates.

Fundraising and Grant Management (5%)

Assist in the development of funding proposals and budgets for public policy projects.
Manage awarded grants, grant reporting, tracking of project deliverables, and expenditures.
Meet with funders as necessary to secure support for priority projects.

Qualifications*

Bachelor’s degree in relevant area of study or equivalent experience.
Minimum 5-years experience managing/directing programming relating to public policy, preferably related to environmental conservation.
Experience with and demonstrated success working on state and local policy issues, with special consideration for those with experience in environmental justice.
Strong writing abilities and skills communicating difficult technical and public policy issues to lay audiences, including elected officials and the general public.
Demonstrated ability to effectively advocate for and report on policy work in fundraising proposals and reports.
Ability to think strategically and creatively, establish long- and short-term priorities, and independently manage multiple tasks in a fast-moving environment.
Demonstrated leadership and staff management skills.
Proven organizational skills and strong attention to and interest in detail. Ability to meet deadlines and juggle multiple and diverse tasks.
Ability to work well independently and without close supervision.
Ability to travel regionally and work occasional evenings and weekends.
Familiarity with Virginia General Assembly and Virginia legislative process(preferred).
Working knowledge of federal, state and local environmental laws, particularly associated with water quality.

*This position uses a wide variety of skills. We encourage you to apply if you think you would be a good fit, even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications.

The Center for Biological Diversity seeks a dynamic individual to advocate for effective food and agriculture policy and legislation that prioritizes human health, equity and the environment above the interests of agribusinesses, particularly industrial meat and dairy production. This includes policy related to nutrition and dietary patterns, agricultural production, climate-friendly food systems, opposing false solutions, shifting direct and indirect subsidies, corporate accountability and food justice. The policy specialist will work individually, in collaboration with other Center staff and in coalitions to build relationships with policymakers; submit formal administrative petitions and comments; analyze and respond to legislation; and develop and implement policy actions to transform the food system toward just, healthy and sustainable plant-forward diets and agroecological production.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Track, analyze and advocate for USDA policies and programs that promote healthy, climate-friendly diets and discourage overproduction and overconsumption of meat and dairy.
Build and cultivate strategic relationships within USDA to advance effective, just and sustainable food policies.
Identify and execute short- and long-term policy strategies and campaigns to increase access to plant-based and climate-friendly foods, reduce meat and dairy production and consumption, push back against false solutions and ensure biodiversity protection plays a central role in food system transformation.
Conduct oversight and watchdog activities of food and agriculture policies and laws, particularly at the federal level.
Engage with Congress to reform food and agricultural laws to better address environmental and food justice concerns.
Elevate food system transformation work by effectively communicating positions on food and agriculture-related matters to the media and public through press releases, op-eds, fact sheets and briefing documents.
Engage the public through action alerts and other tools to ensure that political leaders hear constituent voices in support of healthy, sustainable food and USDA accountability.
Engage and build relationships with climate groups, food justice groups, health organizations, and other non-traditional allies to help advocate for food system transformation.
Assist other Center programs with food policy solutions and strategies, as needed.

Essential Qualifications and Skills:

One to four years’ federal policy experience, with proven experience in food and agriculture policy advocacy.
Knowledge of USDA food, nutrition, and agriculture programs and policies required; understanding of food and agriculture policy at local, state and/or international levels a plus.
Knowledge of the environmental impacts associated with meat and dairy production and the benefits of plant-based diets, a passion for promoting necessary dietary shifts, and an understanding of how to use advocacy to influence both production and consumption.
Experience advocating on environmental issues with demonstrated ability to design and implement effective campaigns.
Demonstrated commitment to food systems change, environmental protection and public interest work.
Understanding of and commitment to food justice issues required; experience preferred.
Understanding of the dynamics between federal and state food policies and the cultural influences on those policies preferred.
Experience lobbying at the federal or state level preferred.
Excellent oral and written communication skills (including comfort with public speaking), analytic abilities and a strong sense of initiative required; experience writing federal comments strongly preferred.
A passion for and knowledge of the natural world, biodiversity, wildlife and waters.
Ability to work as part of a team, and to coordinate closely with attorneys and scientists.
Demonstrated ability to build relationships and facilitate meetings with diverse partners.
Minimum bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in a related field preferred.
Ability to occasionally travel to Washington, D.C. and other locations as needed preferred.

ELI is seeking to fill its Environmental Justice Clerkship position for the fall of 2024, to assist with our portfolio of uniquely positioned environmental law and policy projects, including a particular emphasis on environmental justice.

ABOUT THE CLERKSHIP

In accord with ELI’s mission to build the skills and capacity of tomorrow’s leaders, we provide opportunities for law students to join us at the Institute. In collaboration with the Howard University School of Law, and with the generous support of Crowell & Moring LLP, we are offering a paid clerkship position exclusively to Howard Law students for the fall of 2024.

ELI law clerks work closely with ELI experts on domestic and international projects concerning a wide variety of subjects in environmental law. This clerkship will have a particular focus on environmental justice, with a project or two that, for example, support overburdened communities on sustainable development planning or produce reports to support community-driven environmental justice efforts. The clerk also will have the opportunity to contribute to other projects in the clerk’s interest areas. ELI staff will work with clerks to hone their legal research, analysis, and writing as well as communication and other professional skills.

We encourage law clerks to supplement their work experience by attending the seminars and events that ELI hosts, as well as social and networking opportunities provided by ELI and our partners. The Environmental Justice Clerkship also includes arranged one-on-one conversations with a variety of professionals in environmental law and policy, tailored to the interests and aspirations of each clerk, with the objective of conveying advice and providing the clerks with a better understanding of the different entities, roles, and opportunities in the field.

QUALIFICATIONS

Eligibility is limited to students enrolled in Howard Law School (applicants are ineligible if they graduate before or during the clerkship).
Broad knowledge of or interest in environmental law and policy or a related field.
Excellent skills in policy and legal research and analytical writing.
Ability to become proficient in new issue areas and contribute to creative, rigorous, analytical approaches to address them.
Strong communication skills.
Well-developed collaborative and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Skills in languages other than English and bringing diverse perspectives to ELI as a result of the applicant’s life experiences are appreciated.

Do you want to make a difference protecting and restoring the abundance of the oceans? Oceana seeks a Senior Counsel to provide legal support for the advocacy campaigns run out of the Washington, D.C., office. The Senior Counsel will also advise the campaigns on legal compliance and risk mitigation and assist in the administration of the Law Department. The Senior Counsel may also engage in special projects, including to research new campaign issue or geographic areas; provide legal support to campaigns run by other Oceana offices around the world; assist in defending Oceana against legal claims brought by outside parties; and perform other tasks managed by the Law Department as needed.

This position requires someone with strong organizational skills, well-developed written and oral communication skills, and the ability to take initiative and be creative in suggesting and implementing ways to accomplish Oceana’s goals.

Strong candidates for this position will have a Juris Doctor, must be or able to become a member of good standing in the District of Columbia Bar, and have a minimum of five years legal experience related to the principal duties and essential functions. The Senior Counsel reports to the Assistant General Counsel. This position is full-time (40 hours/week) and based in Washington, DC.

Come join a dedicated team of professionals who are working to protect our oceans and marine wildlife while also enhancing the capacity of the oceans to feed a growing world population. Oceana’s in-house Legal Department supports Oceana’s campaigns, which focus on reducing ocean plastics, promoting responsible fishing; stopping illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; protecting at risk marine species, such as the North Atlantic right whale and sharks; advocating for clean offshore energy; and fighting the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling.

Salary range: $115,000 or commensurate with experience

Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) is hiring a senior policy advisor to lead the senator’s climate and environmental work. Applicants should have excellent written and spoken communications skills, good interpersonal skills, and significant experience working on a range of environmental policy issues—especially climate change. This person will be responsible for overseeing the senator’s relevant work on the Appropriations Committee as well. Competitive candidates will have 10+ years of relevant experience. The salary range for this senior-level position is $110,000 to $130,000 per year. For more details and to apply, please visit http://www.schatz.senate.gov/services/jobs.