Deputy Managing Attorney, Northeast Regional Office - Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund

New York, NY

About the Job

Earthjustice seeks a Deputy Managing Attorney to join our team of lawyers and advocates working at the Northeast Regional Office in New York City.  Candidates should have at least ten years of litigation experience, as well as experience supporting the professional development of less senior attorneys and litigation support staff through training and mentorship.  The position is located in New York City and requires regular in-office attendance.

Earthjustice is the nation’s leading environmental law organization. Wielding the power of law, Earthjustice partners with our clients to take on the most critical fights of our time—fights to protect the incredible biodiversity and wild places of the planet; to avert climate disaster by transitioning society away from fossil fuels toward clean energy; to safeguard the right of all people to a healthy environment. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Bozeman, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Juneau, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.

The Northeast Regional Office is dedicated to protecting public health and ensuring a healthy environment for all in the Northeast; combatting the climate crisis; and securing a swift and equitable transition to zero emissions, 100% clean energy.  Our current focus areas include protecting families from toxic chemicals in their drinking water and homes; cutting climate-destabilizing greenhouse gas emissions and toxic pollution from the power, industrial, and transportation sectors; supporting efforts to accelerate clean energy; and implementing New York State’s ambitious Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). We focus on matters in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and also take on mission-critical work out of this region. The Northeast Regional team currently consists of sixteen staff, including five Senior Attorneys and three Associate Attorneys.

This position is based in our New York City Office and requires regular in-person attendance.

Responsibilities:

Management (approximately 50%)

Responsible for direct management of the Associate Attorney program, including managing workload; providing continuous and consistent performance feedback; mentoring and assisting in career advancement; and working with Associate Attorneys to create and achieve professional development goals.
Responsible for direct management of litigation support staff.
Work with Managing Attorney to create or identify opportunities and events for team-building and staff engagement activities.
Contribute to the office’s learning culture by, e.g., encouraging and facilitating debriefing after completion of significant stages of projects and ongoing collaborative learning.
Work with the Managing Attorney and other staff to recruit, evaluate, and hire qualified candidates for open positions.
Help ensure the advancement of Earthjustice’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and values.
Work with the Managing Attorney and Senior Legal Practice Administrator to implement internal effective operational policies and procedures.
Work with the Communications Department to advance our work both in the New York office and, as needed, organization-wide.
Work with Managing Attorney to support the efforts of the Development Department; engage with new and existing funders.

Litigation (approximately 50%)

Work with Managing Attorney and team to develop litigation and advocacy strategies to support programmatic goals, including alignment with organization-wide strategic plans, core values, priorities, policies and guidance.
With the support of attorney colleagues and professional staff, handle all aspects of litigation, from case investigation, administrative processes, legal analysis, brief writing and argument.
Collaborate and manage relationships with co-counsel, clients, and coalition partners.
Cultivate new and diverse allies and coalition partners in support of our program goals, and that advance our efforts to ensure that equity and social justice considerations inform every aspect of our work.
Communicate with reporters in connection with litigation work.
Work effectively with other departments within Earthjustice, including Communications, Development, and Policy and Legislation, to achieve program goals.

Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate (JD) degree.
A minimum of 10 years of litigation experience, preferably in environmental law and in federal court, and in a position that involved supervision and mentorship of less senior attorneys for a substantial part of that tenure.
Excellent writing and legal analysis skills; strong professional judgment.
Licensed to practice law in New York, or willing and qualified to apply for and be admitted to the New York bar within 14 months of employment.
Experience with the Clean Air Act preferred.
Excellent management skills, including ability to promote the career development of associate attorneys, foster effective communication, collaboration, decision-making, and mutual respect.
Ability to effectively manage and/or work with a diverse team with strong emotional intelligence and cultural humility.
Ability to give and receive regular formal and informal feedback in a timely, constructive, respectful, and consistent manner and to incorporate debriefing into the team’s operations.
Strong team mentorship and communication skills.
Commitment to and experience in developing team skills and talents to meet the evolving needs of an organization.
Strong capacity for strategic thinking, both at the programmatic level and in the context of specific cases.
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and partner organizations.
Commitment to, and experience in, developing team skills and talents to meet the evolving needs of the office and clients.
Strong skills in communicating litigation and advocacy goals and messages to the media and supporters preferred.
Commitment to serving the public interest, and a passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission.
Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
Ability to contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.

Salary range is dependent on experience and location.
Salary range for this position in New York, New York is $211,950 - $235,500

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits that are comprehensive and competitive. We also offer an extremely congenial work environment and a casual dress code. As a 501(c)(3) organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should submit the following via Jobvite:

Resume.

One- to two-page cover letter that explains your interest in both Earthjustice’s mission and in the Deputy Managing Attorney position, and that describes your approach to effective management and mentorship.

Writing sample that demonstrates your own legal analysis and writing.

List of three references.

Preference will be given to candidates who apply by  February 16, 2025. After that, applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.

Source : Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund