Attorney

Organizational Overview

Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) builds alliances that advance bold solutions to secure a just and resilient world for people and nature. We design and carry out programs and projects that promote smart policies, secure equitable public funding, and build strong constituencies for protecting nature, addressing the climate crisis, and advancing environmental equity and justice. Since RLF’s founding in 2000, we have partnered with philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, community groups, government, business, and academia to protect more than five million acres of land and ocean spaces, advance critical climate and environmental justice policies, and generate more than $30 billion in new public funding for conservation, equitable outdoor access, and climate initiatives.

We believe strategic philanthropy and thoughtful partnerships can achieve enduring, equitable outcomes at scale. Philanthropic partners trust us to manage complex, multi-year policy campaigns and philanthropic initiatives. As a grantmaker, we offer beyond-the-dollar support to strengthen grantees’ ability to meet ambitious goals. We also serve as fiscal sponsor to more than 20 projects across the nation and around the world that are doing remarkable work to advance biodiversity protection, climate resilience and mitigation, and justice and equity outcomes.

Position Summary

The Attorney supports the Deputy General Counsel, staff, and fiscally sponsored project leaders on legal issues arising in connection with philanthropic program work, effective advocacy, and business matters.

This position is fully remote, within the U.S., with occasional travel to Sacramento, CA. This full-time position is exempt and reports to the Deputy General Counsel.

Duties include:

•Provide regular advice and support to the Deputy General Counsel, leadership, and staff on legal and associated risk management matters related to 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations.

• Serve as a resource on nonprofit legal and compliance issues for leaders of fiscally sponsored projects including advising on grants and contracts, lobbying, media law and publications, and general risk management.
• Work with staff and fiscal sponsorships teams to identify legal and related business risks and advise on advancing business objectives while ensuring compliance with applicable laws.
• Support development and implementation of organizational policies, procedures, document templates, and training materials to promote staff education and compliance with pertinent laws, policies, and best practices. Organize and provide trainings for staff on legal rules and compliance procedures, as requested.
• Advise on matters involving compliance with laws, regulations, and guidelines governing political activity, lobbying, and campaign finance.
• Advise on legal questions regarding media law and publications.
• Oversee registrations and reporting to maintain the organizations’ good standing with federal and state corporate and charity regulators across the full range of jurisdictions in which RLF, FBF, and SAF do business; ensure up-to-date intellectual property registrations; and support the CFO and Deputy General Counsel in ensuring compliance with applicable tax laws.
• Provide general support to the Deputy General Counsel to diagnose and resolve routine legal or regulatory-related issues or questions.
• As requested, and as relevant to other duties, draft research materials, board materials, memoranda of understanding, and other legal and corporate documents.
• Stay up to date on developments in relevant areas of the law.
• Liaise with and manage outside counsel as necessary on specific matters and to develop additional in-house expertise.
• Undertake special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Note: These qualifications are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you have 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply. Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work and lived experiences that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

• CA Bar License or licensed in another state and eligible to register as In-House Counsel under the California State Bar rules.
• J.D. and at least seven years of experience in a legal or related role.
• Experience in the following areas strongly preferred:
  • Tax exempt organizations law and policy, with a focus on 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations
  • Negotiation, drafting, analyzing, and advising on grants and contracts
  • Compliance with charitable fundraising laws
  • Compliance related to political activity, lobbying, and campaign finance
  • Advising leadership on legal matters, including risk management
  • Managing grantmaking and contracting disputes
  • Managing engagement of external legal counsel
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience working in-house at a nonprofit.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a strong client service orientation.
• Ability to work independently and proactively identify and prioritize needs.
• Ability to research and develop solutions to resolve problems.
• Ability to establish and manage effective relationships with colleagues across teams.
• Ability to explain legal concepts to various audiences, including to staff who don’t have a legal background.
• A commitment to being part of and building a positive and collaborative work environment.

Commitment to Nondiscrimination

We are committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination, where all team members feel valued, respected, and included. We know that our work is enriched by the varied voices and perspectives of every staff and board member, so we are committed to making an earnest effort to recruit, welcome, train, develop, and retain talented individuals from all backgrounds. We believe that a welcoming culture expands our creative capacity to do our work and achieve greater outcomes for people and the natural world.