Staff Attorney, Environmental Justice

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.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

L4GG is looking for a self-motivated and passionate staff attorney to expand its growing Climate Change and Environmental Justice (CCEJ) Program impact fighting for climate justice and addressing climate change. The Staff Attorney, Environmental Justice will support our efforts to assist local and state governments in switching to renewable energy and will help provide direct legal assistance to communities that have been directly impacted by climate change and/or who face environmental injustice issues. This person will assist in running the Program’s Climate and Environmental Justice Initiative and help to manage L4GG’s first in the nation Decarbonization and Climate Resilience Funding Clinic (The Clinic), working on policy initiatives and direct services to communities to help leverage historic federal funding to implement clean energy, climate resilience, access to clean drinking water, impacts to wetlands, and environmental justice projects in areas that are most vulnerable to climate change. The Clinic currently represents clients across the nation, including in Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Illinois, and Guam. This position will involve researching, drafting, and reviewing applicable laws in connection with representing clients in the Clinic to promote clean energy, climate justice, and access to clean, affordable drinking water, protection of wetlands and water resources, managing teams of pro bono attorneys and handling case management to provide top flight service to our community clients, reviewing legal resources prepared by L4GG volunteers, working with the Director of Bono Initiatives to manage and direct volunteers, and working directly with the Director to help support the overall CCEJ Program.

The person who succeeds in this role will have experience: a) designing and implementing attorney training, b) researching new areas of cutting-edge law and policy related to clean energy, climate resilience, and water issues, c) managing teams of pro bono attorneys, d) handling case management and legal strategies in coordination with expert attorneys and community clients; e) working directly with frontline communities; f) working with renewable energy, climate resilience, and/or water projects, including projects like community solar, and g) relevant state-level energy policies. The ideal candidate will have the ability to quickly learn and manage digital tools and new state level energy policies, initiative and flexibility to help us build out the program, and an aptitude for working well in start-up environments. This is an opportunity for an experienced person to play a key role in a dynamic start-up nonprofit.

Specific Job Responsibilities include:

• Environmental Lawyering (60%):
  • Provide support to the existing Clinic clients, including managing legal teams to provide legal resources and guidance to Funding Clinic clients and helping them identify the tools, funding, and options available to help them implement ambitious decarbonization and climate resilience projects.
    • Research on relevant laws relating to clean energy and clean water projects in the applicable jurisdiction.
    • Support L4GG’s initiative to provide legal guidance surrounding grant eligibility, opportunities, and/or other legal funding restrictions that have arisen out of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act to our Clinic clients, in coordination with CCEJ’s Clean Energy Staff Attorney and the Director.
    • Coordinate with our coalition partners to share resources to other similarly situated communities.
    • Manage attorney teams and work closely with the CCEJ Program Coordinator on client interviews and intake as the Clinic expands.
    • Work with the CCEJ Program Coordinator to help create systems to scale the impact of our client work, sharing legal resources with other similarly-situated communities.
  • Work with grassroots partner organizations to directly assist vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. Examples include:
  • Coordinate with Director, Pro Bono Initiatives to manage pro bono attorneys in climate change research and analysis.
• Environmental Policy Advocacy (40%):
  • Closely follow and track changes in relevant environmental policies and case law, including USSC decisions and state policies that impact protections of wetlands and waters, including under the Clean Water Act in addition to others.
  • Draft research products combining research from our pro bono partners with your own legal and policy analyses, conducting additional legal research as necessary.
  • Work in coalition with diverse groups including national policy groups, state and local, grassroots and community organizations, and our community of attorney advocates in order to achieve our shared goals. Serve as a legal/policy expert in coalitions with external partners on issues of environmental justice and community engagement policy.
  • Advance L4GG’s administrative and legislative advocacy on climate change by providing legal analysis and technical assistance to L4GG Policy and Communications staff; government officials and staff; the media; organizers; and advocates and attorneys nationwide. Provide support to other staff on issues of subject-matter expertise.
  • Coordinate with our communications and development team to amplify our work and support fundraising efforts to further expand the program.
• Other duties as assigned, which could include some scheduling and case management and management of the CCEJ Program Coordinator’s work to support the Clinic.

REQUIREMENTS:

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• 5+ years practicing law and experience in environmental justice, energy, water,/or climate law and policy.
• Excellent analytical, research, writing, oral communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to our organization’s mission and a desire to fight for climate justice for all.
• Ability to work independently
• Proven ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong work ethic, robust problem-solving skills, and sound judgment.
• 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 work hours.
• Exceptional technology comfort and competence including willingness to embrace new tools and self-train using provided resources as needed
• Project management skills, including the ability to marshal resources and information from diverse staff spanning departments and geographies
• Strong customer service orientation and experience partnering with colleagues virtually
• Flexibility in adapting to the needs of a fast-paced national organization

Desired qualifications include:

• Experience in state-level policy
• Working understanding of the interplay between local, state, and federal government.
• Experience working in a regulatory agency at the state or federal level.
• Experience working with marginalized communities affected by environmental, energy, and water policy.
• Technical or legal editing experience, such as law review or another legal journal.
• Demonstrated experiences in published legal writing, such as having published a law review article, a legal research paper, or a report.
• Demonstrated ability to apply legal or other training to legislative analysis.