Senior Staff Attorney

JOB DESCRIPTION:

CAL is seeking a Senior Staff Attorney who is dedicated to human rights work, is comfortable with a diversity of tasks, and enjoys working in a collaborative and creative environment. CAL attorneys develop and oversee a portfolio of corporate accountability projects related to human rights, labor, environment and climate across U.S. and international supply chains. CAL’s work involves legal and factual research, developing legal cases and active litigation, comparative law analysis, report writing and advocacy, on-the-ground-investigations, and facilitating events on legal topics.

The Senior Staff Attorney will be an active member of our dynamic team. We are a consensus-based organization, where every staff member has a say in major organizational decisions. Attorneys work closely with Senior Staff Attorneys and Staff Attorneys, the Program Officer, and the Executive Director on a range of substantive projects, participate in legal design processes, and are involved in all facets of the organization. CAL is a “stick not carrot” organization: we fight for binding outcomes through regulation and litigation, not corporate engagement or voluntary corporate social responsibility. The ideal candidate is highly organized, self-motivated, passionate about human rights and corporate accountability, has civil litigation experience, and is able to engage in comparative law analysis across jurisdictions. This position is based in CAL’s office in Chicago.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Staff Attorney will develop and oversee a portfolio of corporate accountability projects related to human rights and labor abuses across international supply chains, and will assist the organization in exploring and executing civil litigation ideas for human rights and environmental accountability. Depending on the Senior Staff Attorney’s skills and backgrounds, they may focus on CAL’s work combating forced labor in the Dominican sugar sector (with relevant Spanish and/or Creole-language skills), CAL’s new work fighting climate change under U.S. law (with relevant environmental law background), or other projects.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable with a broad range of tasks, including developing and leading projects with a high degree of autonomy, and navigating challenges to strategy implementation as they arise; conducting and applying comparative legal research,developing legal theories and building and litigating cases; and collaborating with litigators, advocates, workers, and communities globally. The role may require occasional travel, including to remote communities to interview workers.

Studies show that some candidates, including BIPOC and women, are less likely to apply unless they meet every requirement; we want to hear from you even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification. Corporate Accountability Lab is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices. We actively encourage BIPOC, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people to apply for all positions. We also encourage individuals with personal connections and/or cultural knowledge of the geographies where CAL works – including West Africa, South America, the Caribbean, or South Asia – to apply.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• J.D. or equivalent degree, ideally from a U.S. law school;
• Licensed to practice law in a U.S. state;
• Demonstrated commitment to human rights, the environment, and corporate accountability work;
• At least 4 years legal experience in public interest work, ideally human rights, environmental, labor, or a related field;
• Written and spoken fluency in English;
• Legal authorization to work in the United States; Unfortunately this is non-negotiable, as we are a small non-profit organization and do not have the capacity to sponsor visas.
• Ability to work from Chicago (in-person Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; virtual Mondays and Fridays);
• Strong legal research and writing skills;
• U.S. litigation experience;
• A demonstrated ability to interact with a variety of stakeholders, including impacted communities from a trauma-informed perspective, partners, and advocates from diverse backgrounds;
• Excellent organizational, administrative, and communication skills;
• Experience supervising and/or mentoring junior staff;
• High level of leadership and personal responsibility;
• Ability to work in a fast-paced office environment; willingness to work both individually and as a member of a team; analytical and creative problem-solving skills;
• A sense of humor and willingness to engage in uncomfortable conversations.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in or working knowledge of climate change litigation or climate change movement work, especially in the United States;
• Fluency in a second language, particularly Spanish, French or Haitian Creole (Spanish language skills highly preferred);
• Experience with worker-driven or community-driven models;
• Familiarity with movement lawyering or social movement work more broadly;
• Familiarity with design thinking concepts;
• Familiarity with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, human rights due diligence legislation, and developments in corporate accountability civil litigation globally;
• Familiarity with climate change litigation in the United States and abroad;
• Familiarity or experience with consensus decision-making processes;
• Experience facilitating discussions on complex topics with participants from diverse backgrounds, in person and/or online.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The Senior Staff Attorney’s salary is $75,000- $82,000/year, commensurate with experience. CAL covers 90% of the cost of health, dental, and vision insurance for staff and dependents, as well as the full cost of a life insurance policy, plus a 3% non-elective annual IRA contribution. CAL actively encourages work-life balance through flexible working hours, unlimited paid time off (a minimum ten days vacation is required annually), and a child and pet-friendly office. We offer 3 months of paid family leave, and a 3 month paid sabbatical after 5 years at CAL. The office is closed for thirteen holidays, as well as for the last week of the year. Additionally, staff are encouraged to take off for observed religious holidays.