General Counsel & Litigation Director

Earth Island Institute

description

Earth Island

Institute is a nonprofit environmental organization that has been at the

forefront of efforts to protect the planet and its inhabitants for more than

forty years. Earth Island supports grassroots activists through a powerful

network of about 80 projects working in the United States and around the world.

Earth Island’s projects safeguard forests, oceans, and wildlife; support youth,

women’s environmental leadership, and historically-excluded communities;

respond to climate change; and advance environmental justice, sustainability,

and resilience. Earth Island further inspires action through the New Leaders

Initiative and its annual Brower Youth Awards, which provides youth leaders

with recognition and mentoring; Earth

Island Journal, which provides unparalleled coverage of global

environmental news and perspectives; and Earth Island Advocates, which uses the

law to strengthen environmental protections. For more information, please visit

earthisland.org.

Position overview

We believe that individuals and communities play a key

role in environmental problem solving and in shaping the environmental

movement, bolstered by organizational resources and a peer network that can

scale their efforts. The General Counsel & Litigation Director (“general counsel”)

will be an ambassador for this perspective, and for Earth Island’s multifaceted

effort to make an impact by empowering the leaders in our network, growing the

next generation of change makers, and amplifying the issues they work on.

This position will oversee Earth Island Advocates, the

litigation arm of Earth Island, and act as legal advisor to Earth Island and

the Board of Directors on a range of matters. They will supervise the work of

pro bono attorneys and law students in connection with environmental advocacy

and litigation and, along with the Board of Directors and other senior staff,

devise and implement the organization’s litigation strategies. The general

counsel will also be charged with helping to grow Earth Island Advocates, and

serve as the spokesperson for Earth Island’s legal efforts.

The general counsel will be an executive-level member

of the Earth Island team who will oversee all legal and governance matters

within the organization, and serve as staff liaison to appropriate committees of

the Earth Island Board of Directors (e.g., Litigation Approval, Governance,

etc.). This exempt position is part of the management team, and reports

directly to the chief executive officer. The general counsel will have

supervisory responsibilities of legal and non-legal staff that directly support

Earth Island’s legal department.

In all aspects of their role, the general counsel

strives to deliver quality results in a manner that is respectful and

supportive of others, and contributes to a strong team environment. This

position has a direct impact on the programmatic and operational performance of

the organization, as well as Earth Island’s reputation among partners and

community members.

This position is an excellent match for someone who

enjoys taking initiative and thinking creatively about legal strategies; is a

problem-solver by nature; has had steadily increasing legal responsibilities;

and seeks to join a dynamic, innovative, and impactful organization.

Core responsibilities

●       

Develop and

manage pro-active litigation and strategy, including advising on settlement,

that supports the goals and objectives of Earth Island and its projects;

●       

Build and manage

a network of pro-bono attorneys, law students, and consultants who work on

Earth Island litigation and regulatory matters;

●       

Provide legal and

risk management advice and judgment on a wide range of legal matters related to

Earth Island’s operations, including but not limited to contract, intellectual

property, employment, and tax;

●       

Oversee grants

and contracts compliance;

●       

Participate in

the definition and development of policies, procedures, and programs related to

legal and risk management;

●       

Assume

responsibility for ensuring that the company conducts its business in

compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

●       

Keep current on

new and emerging laws, policy developments, and best practices related to

compliance programs, with a focus on those relating to tax-exempt

organizations;

●       

Serve as

corporate secretary;

●       

Assist the

president of the Board and the chief executive officer in connection with

governance and the operation of the Board of Directors;

●       

Serve as the

spokesperson for Earth Island’s legal efforts and for Earth Island Advocates;

and

●       

Other duties and

responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

We strongly

encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including women and

people of color, to apply. Research has shown that these groups are often less

likely to apply unless they meet 100% of the listed qualifications. At Earth

Island, we value diversity and believe that a range of perspectives contributes

to our success. If you have at least 60% of the qualifications listed and a

growth mindset, we encourage you to submit your application.

●       

J.D. from an

accredited law school;

●       

Seven years of

experience as an attorney, with at least five years of litigation experience in

state and/or federal courts;

●       

Admission to the

Bar of the State of California (preferred), or to the bar of another state and

willingness to obtain registered in-house counsel status in California;

●       

Creative

litigation skills;

●       

Familiarity or

willingness to learn legal substantive areas as applied to 501(c)(3)

organizations, including governance, contract, employment and other day-to-day

matters to the extent not already conversant;

●       

Demonstrated

excellence in writing and verbal communication;

●       

Ability to lead

in an environment of change;

●       

Ability to earn

influence without authority and naturally seek to support both small projects

and large strategic goals;

●       

Demonstrated

strong planning skills, including the ability to anticipate tasks, set

priorities, meet deadlines, and function smoothly under quick deadlines and

shifting priorities;

●       

Exceptional

interpersonal communication and relationship-building skills;

●       

Ability to

demonstrate sensitivity to and appreciation for diverse viewpoints, different

communication styles, and a wide range of diverse colleagues and project

partners;

●       

Humble curiosity,

creativity, and initiative with a willingness to accept and take on new

challenges;

●       

Demonstrated

ability to develop and maintain positive and productive relationships with

staff, Board, donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders;

●       

Computer

proficient with a comprehensive working knowledge of MS Word and MS Excel;

●       

Familiarity with

some or all of the following systems: 

Nifty, Adobe, DocuSign, and Google Suite; and

●       

Ability to work

some weekday evenings and weekends as required.

Compensation, hours, and location

This is a

full-time, exempt position with a starting salary of $132,000-142,000. Earth

Island (Network Services) has adopted a compensation philosophy and set of

practices to promote equity, remove bias — whether implicit or explicit — in

the salary adjustment process, and to promote transparency around salaries.

Each position has a grade and has a corresponding range of pay based on our

peer market pay practices and an employee’s tenure in a job. Full benefits

include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, 13 paid holidays per year,

a week-long winter break, paid vacation and sick leave, and a 401(k) plan with

employer match.

The position

is based in Earth Island’s Berkeley, California office, with at least two full

days per week in the office and attendance at other regular in-person meetings

and gatherings.

Application

Please send

your resume along with a cover letter expressing your interest in Earth Island

and how your qualifications align with the responsibilities of this position,

and your LinkedIn profile (optional), to jobs@earthisland.org with “General

Counsel” in the subject line.

Application initial review timeline

Applications

sent in by April 12th will be considered for priority review. Applicants may

receive contact prior to April 12th to participate in a short screening call.

The position will be open until filled.

Covid-19 Considerations

EII is committed to protecting the

health of our employees. To this end, EII employees are required to be

vaccinated or provide documentation of medical or religious exemption. We will

continue to evaluate these policies and practices informed by public health

guidance and employee needs.

***

Earth Island Institute provides equal

employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without

regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or

expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital

status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable

federal, state, and local laws.

We strongly encourage applications

from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well

as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Earth

Island Institute is committed to our role in addressing barriers to engagement

as we work collectively toward a future of environmental wellbeing for all. We

value diversity and inclusion and we look forward to reviewing applications

from all who are qualified to apply.

Reasonable accommodation will be made

so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application

process. If you seek an accommodation, please send an email

jobs@earthisland.org.