Senior Attorney, Environmental Enforcement

Earthjustice is seeking a collaborative and experienced litigator to join our newly established enforcement group as a Senior Attorney. Earthjustice’s enforcement docket focuses on holding polluters accountable for violating the federal environmental laws that protect our land, air, and water. This is a cross-organizational effort, with the opportunity to develop and pursue cases in venues throughout the United States on behalf of communities directly impacted by environmental harm.

The Senior Attorney will report to the Director of Enforcement and work closely with the Director to shape the enforcement group’s strategic plan, develop enforcement-related advocacy efforts, and build out infrastructure to support enforcement work throughout the organization. The Senior Attorney will also take the lead in identifying, developing, and litigating federal enforcement cases.

This is a hybrid position that requires two days per week in an Earthjustice office.

Responsibilities:

Case development and litigation (60%)

• Work with clients, other attorneys, experts, and partners to investigate, develop, and pursue enforcement cases.
• Lead complex cases and conduct the full range of litigation tasks, including fact and expert discovery, motions practice, oral argument, and trial.
• Collaborate in team problem-solving, litigation strategy, project management, and trial work.
• Cultivate new allies and maintain effective working relationships with external partners, including Tribal entities, community groups, organizations, and coalitions.

Building enforcement infrastructure (35%)

• Participate in strategic planning, prioritization, and establishment of metrics to advance enforcement efforts.
• Develop cross-cutting resources to support enforcement litigation.
• Train Earthjustice staff in enforcement strategies and litigation skills.
• Work directly with attorneys, paralegals, and litigation assistants in other Earthjustice programs and offices to provide hands-on training and mentoring in enforcement cases.

External engagement and communications (5%)

• Work with colleagues at Earthjustice, clients, and partners to help develop and execute effective media and legislative strategies.
• With the support of Earthjustice’s communications team, engage journalists and thought leaders to advance our environmental enforcement and broader mission goals.

Qualifications:

Education and bar requirements

• Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from an ABA accredited law school.
• Admitted to or willing to apply for admission to bar in Earthjustice office location where you plan to work;

Experience and skills

• A minimum of 8 years of experience litigating complex matters, including e-discovery and trial experience. A background in federal environmental enforcement litigation is strongly preferred.
• Ability to develop cases, manage a litigation docket effectively, and lead a litigation team.
• Ability to work effectively with technical experts.
• Excellent research, analytic, writing, and communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and maintain coalitions and partnerships, understand and influence stakeholders, listen to and learn from others, and motivate and inspire coworkers.
• Experience mentoring and training others.
• A network of relevant professional relationships that can be drawn on to help the enforcement program achieve its goals.

Personal traits and attributes

• Commitment to public interest work and a passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission.
• Excellent emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and cultural humility.
• Awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations.
• Willingness to travel as needed for case work, court appearances, and presentations.
• Creativity, initiative, good judgment, and a strong work ethic.
• A positive attitude, a sense of humor, and a willingness to have fun.

Salary and Benefits:

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.

Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by experience level and location.

Salary range based in San Francisco, CA or New York, NY is: $182,100 - $217,100

Salary range based in Seattle, WA, Washington, D.C., Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, Honolulu, HI is: $173,000- $206,200

Salary range based in Juneau, AK, Denver, CO, Philadelphia, PA, Anchorage, AK is: $163,900 - $195,400

Salary range based in Texas, Miami & Tallahassee, FL, Bozeman, MT, New Orleans, LA is: $154,800 - $184,500

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following via Jobvite:

• Resume.
• Cover letter that addresses (1) why you are drawn to Earthjustice’s mission, (2) your experience leading litigation teams, and (3) your ability to build and maintain coalitions.
• Writing sample, preferably a legal brief or memorandum that reflects your own work.
• A list of representative matters that you have litigated.

We are looking to hire a candidate that is available to start as soon as possible. Preference will be given to candidates who apply by December 5, 2025. After that, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

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

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