Program Coordinator, Climate Change & Environmental Justice

Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) coordinates large scale pro bono programs and issue advocacy efforts to ensure that all levels of government - national, state, and local - protect human rights and provide equal justice under the law. We believe not only in the establishment and enforcement of equality under the law, but in the creation of social and economic conditions that lead to true equity and systemic change. We currently run programs in the following areas: climate change and environmental justice (CCEJ), immigration, racial justice, voting rights, government accountability, and responding to emergent legal needs.

L4GG’s CCEJ Program mobilizes lawyers nationwide to combat the climate crisis and promote environmental justice. We use the law to implement and execute climate solutions equitably at federal, state, and local levels, with twin goals of expediting the country’s just transition to a green economy and directly addressing environmental racism. We do this by:

• advocating for federal agencies to address climate change and equity through their climate and infrastructure program funding
• assisting state and local governments with creating and implementing laws and policies
• providing low-income cities and communities most harmed by discriminatory environmental practices with high quality, pro bono legal representation.
• providing administrative assistance to grantees facing funding terminations, including legal support, regular trainings, and communications to agencies.
• coordinating volunteers to respond to public notice and comment periods as agencies propose new rules and regulations.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, self-motivated legal assistant (with a minimum of 2 years experience) to provide administrative support for Lawyers for Good Government’s (L4GG’s) Climate Change and Environmental Justice (CCEJ) Program, including L4GG’s Decarbonization and Climate Resilience Clinic, and assisting L4GG’s Director of Pro Bono Initiatives to help identify and coordinate attorneys within L4GG’s vast legal network to assist with the CCEJ Program. The person who succeeds in this role will have a strong background in organizational and administrative experience, a passion for working on climate and environmental justice policies (experience working in these areas a strong bonus), experience working with legal clients and law firms, social media experience, strong interpersonal communication skills, the ability to quickly learn and manage digital tools, and an aptitude for working well in start-up environments.

The program coordinator will support the Fund Protection Clinic and Pro Bono Initiatives by:

1. Assisting the CCEJ Team by helping to manage L4GG’s intake process for Clinic clients, including managing L4GG’s Google Drive filing system by receiving, reviewing, and filing documents from applicants and clients, managing the Clinic client interview and application process, scheduling interviews and meetings with external client and attorney teams, and tracking progress for each Clinic client.
2. Assisting the CCEJ Team with presentations for L4GG webinars using Google Slides, including creating visuals of complex climate change and environmental justice-related topics.
3. Entering tasks and assigning them in L4GG’s project management tracking system, Asana.
4. Assisting the Pro Bono Director in identifying, connecting with, and intaking attorneys within L4GG’s Pro Bono Network to assist with CCEJ Projects, which may include tracking attorney intake, scheduling meetings, working with attorneys to get co-counsel, engagement letter, and volunteer agreements signed, following up with attorneys over email and/or phone regarding deliverables, and general assistance to the Pro Bono Director in helping to support CCEJ Projects.
5. Managing and tracking the status of Fund Protection Clinic applications in AirTable, including but not limited to streamlining the tracking system for accepted clients and volunteers.
6. Researching basic information about applicants and their case and providing it to L4GG in advance of interviews. Researching basic information and providing it to L4GG staff as client needs develop.
7. Reviewing documents for grammar and formatting. Knowledge of the Bluebook is useful but not required.
8. Assisting with the preparation and filing of documents including comment letters and responses to requests for information, including potentially filing comment letters.

The ideal candidate will have top-notch interpersonal skills, judgment, and the ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment. We need someone who can work independently with a strong sense of urgency and take initiative to identify and resolve challenges. Must have access to a quiet workspace (home office or other space) with high-speed internet and the ability to take calls and/or video conferences during working hours.

Required Qualifications:

• Education required: Bachelor’s Degree
• Commitment to our organization’s mission
• Ability to work autonomously as well as collaborate and work well with a team
• Exceptionally strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Comfortable working with and communicating with private sector attorneys
• Passion for tackling climate change and environmental justice issues
• Proven ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience using Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Drive
• Experience using Mac computers
• Exceptional technology comfort and competence including willingness to embrace new tools and self-train using provided resources as needed
• Consistent attention to detail
• Strong ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, and escalate issues to ED as appropriate

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with any or all of the following digital tools: Asana, Airtable, Zoom
• Background or experience working on climate, water, or other environmental issues