Legal and Policy Associate

About CTEA

The Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability is dedicated to supporting communities impacted by international investments, particularly in the extractives sector. It does this by working with organizations based in countries where such investments are taking place, and building the advocacy and legal capacity of attorneys and local activists. It has worked with partners in Africa, Latin America and Asia using national information disclosure laws, administrative procedures and regulations, as well as national and international environmental and climate policies and law, to pursue investor and governmental accountability. CTEA established a China Fellows Project to develop the legal and advocacy capacity of attorneys in partner organizations and schools, and to establish a network of legal professionals able to collaborate in pursuit of environmental and climate justice.

The primary focus of the job is CTEA’s legal and programmatic work. This will include, but not be limited to:

• Undertaking legal research on international and national laws on issues relevant to human rights, environmental, climate and corporate liability;
• Undertaking policy research on environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure;
• undertaking research or investigations on foreign direct investment in the critical mineral mining and energy industry, and their environmental, climate, and human rights impacts in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
• Preparing submissions to UN human rights mechanisms, corporate or financiers' grievance mechanisms and other state or non-state grievance mechanisms.
• Writing briefs, articles and legal memos in support of CTEA’s environmental and climate litigation and legal advocacy work;
• Supporting partners in discussing and planning collaborative work, including developing and pursuing legal and advocacy strategies.
• Developing, or helping develop, content for lecture and networking events and other knowledge-sharing and training activities.
• Other work as may be assigned by the CTEA Executive Director.

The position will involve occasional domestic and international travel.

Qualifications:

• A JD or equivalent degree; licensed to practice in a state in the US or a foreign jurisdiction
• Strong legal writing skills
• 1-3 years of experience working in the area of international human rights and environmental law or comparable academic experience
• Legal clinic or law journal editing experience preferred
• Chinese, French or Spanish language capacity a plus

The Legal Associate will work under the direction of, and report directly to, the CTEA Executive Director.

To be determined.

Full proficiency in English required. Chinese, French and/or Spanish language capacity a plus.