Litigation Assistant & Legal Practice Administrator, Strategic Legal Advocacy Program

Earthjustice is the nation’s largest, oldest, and most active public interest environmental law organization. With a team of over 550 staff, including more than 200 lawyers, we wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect public health, address environmental injustice, defend magnificent places and irreplaceable ecosystems, transition our economy to 100% clean energy, and combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, tribes, individuals, and communities to address the environmental crises of our time. 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.

Earthjustice is looking for a collaborative and creative litigation assistant and legal practice administrator to join its Strategic Legal Advocacy team. Earthjustice formed the team in 2021 to identify and address changes in judicial doctrines—such as standing, remedies, and interpretation—that affect our clients’ ability to vindicate their rights. The team now consists of a Director and two Senior Counsels. It serves as a resource to teams across Earthjustice by, for example, providing research and drafting assistance on novel or difficult legal issues that arise during litigation. It also serves as lead counsel in litigation, both in cases that develop internally and with partner organizations. The team’s focus is on cases that may be or are already before an en banc court or the U.S. Supreme Court. The team also serves as a resource to Earthjustice’s peers in the broader progressive legal community.

The Litigation Assistant & Legal Practice Administrator will be responsible for the efficient operation of the Strategic Legal Advocacy team and ensuring that the legal work the team produces meets the highest standards for accuracy and form. This team member will also have the opportunity to assist with the team’s legal research and efforts to monitor legal developments. The position will report directly to the Director of Strategic Legal Advocacy.

Program Support (40%):

• Managing and monitoring the team’s workload and workflow, including through the use of project management software;
• Proofreading, formatting, and finalizing internal guidance memoranda on emerging legal issues relevant to Earthjustice’s work;
• Proofreading, formatting, and finalizing biweekly bulletin of legal developments using the team’s publishing platform;
• Preparing PowerPoint decks as necessary for presentations to board members, donors, and client groups in collaboration with the team;
• Organizing internal and external virtual and in-person events;
• Tracking pending petitions for certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court, cases raising issues of concern in the lower courts, and other legal issues in collaboration with the team;
• Maintaining database of moot court judges and scheduling moot courts;
• Attending recurring meetings held by partner organizations or other presentations on relevant legal topics, taking notes, and reporting out to relevant team members.

Litigation Support (40%):

• Drafting and submitting case-initiation materials;
• Completing legal research projects related to recurring issues or ongoing litigation;
• Calculating and calendaring court and other deadlines;
• Developing templates for filings in courts in which the team frequently files, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to ensure compliance with court rules and procedures;
• Formatting, cite-checking, Bluebooking, proofreading, filing, and serving briefs and other court filings;
• Creating and maintaining case files on the team’s shared drive;
• Assisting in case-related or other meetings by, for example, preparing agendas for meetings, taking notes during meetings, and circulating notes to attendees;
• Drafting litigation matter updates for internal newsletters and internal partner use.

Administrative Support for Director (20%):

• Assisting with development of agendas for weekly check ins with team members using team’s project management software;
• Responding to speaking and presentation requests handling scheduling, and travel logistics;
• Scheduling meetings and collecting materials needed for meetings;
• Assisting with recruiting and onboarding and serving as a liaison to Human Resources;
• Preparing applicable new employee orientation materials.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent experience;
• At least two years of office, legal, or comparable experience required;
• Advanced word processing skills (Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat);
• Excellent research, analytic, writing, and communication skills;
• Ability to work well independently and in a team-oriented atmosphere;
• Strong work ethic, good judgment, initiative, and creativity;
• Superior attention to detail and organization;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and maintain partnerships, listen to and learn from others, and motivate and inspire peers.

Personal Traits and Attributes:

• Passion for the role of Earthjustice and its mission, including our commitment to furthering racial and social justice through our programmatic agenda;
• Awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations;
• A positive attitude, a sense of humor, and a willingness to have fun.

We offer a mission- and employee-focused work environment and a competitive compensation package, including excellent benefits. We also offer extensive skills training and professional development resources. Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity. As a 501(c)(3) organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

Compensation is based on experience and location.

Salary Range for Washington, D.C.: $75,300 - $83,700

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit the following via Jobvite:

• Resume.
• One- or two-page cover letter that addresses your interest in the role.

We are looking to hire a candidate who is available to start early in 2025. Preference will be given to candidates who apply by February 21, 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 given 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.

Keywords

Litigation assistantLegal practiceStrategic advocacyLegal researchProject managementProofreadingFormattingCourt filingsCase managementInterpersonal skillsCommunication skillsAttention to detailTeam collaboration