Attorney
Company: Natural Resources Defense Council
Location: New York
Posted on: March 1, 2025
Job Description:
Attorney
Job ID
2025-5693
# of Openings
1
Group
Litigation
Overview
NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use
law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online
activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to
ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and
healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped
write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the
Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today,
our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy
advocates, communications experts, and others work across the
United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago;
New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington,
D.C. NRDC is seeking an Attorney to work with the Litigation Team
in any of NRDC's U.S. offices. Position Summary The Attorney
litigates cases on behalf of NRDC and outside partners, with the
ability to lead record-review cases in federal or state trial or
appellate courts with limited oversight by a Senior Attorney. This
role also entails participating in other Team-development or
institutional work. The position you are applying forispart of the
bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild
(WBNG /The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035).
Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to
perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with
disabilities to perform the following essential functions: Active
litigation (-85-90%)
- Litigate cases on behalf of NRDC and
its partners, including leading record-review cases, drafting
complaints and briefs, conducting legal research, and negotiating
with opposing counsel, with limited oversight by a Senior
Attorney.
- Develop or hone oral argument and other court presentation
skills, with oversight by a Senior Attorney.
- Work within a case team to litigate complex cases, including
discovery cases that may go to trial, with substantial oversight by
a Senior Attorney.
- Develop client, co-counsel, and coalition relationships within
NRDC and with outside partners.
- Research and act as a team-wide resource, as needed, on
cross-cutting litigation issues. Other team collaboration or
institutional engagement (-10-15%)
- Supervise and mentor the work of legal interns, litigation
assistants, and more junior attorneys on specific assignments,
including by giving timely feedback and helping with project
management.
- Contribute to the Team and NRDC's litigation capacity in other
ways, such as by serving on institutional committees, presenting
trainings, drafting guidance documents, building relationships with
other components of NRDC and allied groups, and engaging in
development outreach. The above list of duties is not comprehensive
but generally demonstrates the types of matters under this
position's responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.
Qualifications
Minimum Education & Experience:
- Juris Doctorate degree or equivalent.
- Admission to the state bar in the jurisdiction in which the
applicant intends to practice.
- Minimum 3 to 8 years of post-law school experience, including
active litigation experience, with at least 4 years of post-law
school experience preferred.Skills, Abilities, Competencies:
- Demonstrated competency in working with people with different
social identities than the applicant's own (including race, gender,
sexual identity or orientation, age, class, and disability).
- A strong conceptual and practical knowledge of litigation
processes.
- Excellent legal writing, research, and analytical skills.
- Ability to lead medium-complexity cases, including
record-review cases, with limited oversight from a Senior Attorney,
managing all aspects of the case.
- Ability to participate in and contribute to discovery cases and
cases that go to trial.
- Knowledge of environmental and/or administrative law and issues
of federal practice.
- Ability to mentor and support less experienced staff, build
collaborative and respectful relationships within the Team and
across NRDC, and foster a culture of dignity and belonging.
- Ability to travel occasionally to other NRDC U.S. offices, and
attend court hearings and other case-related meetings, as
appropriate (approximately 10% or less of total working time
annually).
- Demonstrated commitment to public service, equity, or social
justice.
- Commitment to NRDC's mission, values, and DEI principles. NRDC
is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in
our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and
actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to
solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we
encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been
historically under-represented in the environmental movement. We
are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring
or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender
identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation,
national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or
any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will
consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and
conviction records. We offer competitive salaries, excellent
benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on
a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience.
Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a
final offer. For this position, the salary range is $120,000 to
$143,000. NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are
required to come to the office 8 days per month. As a science-based
organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19
public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity,
we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved
medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance
with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two
weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In
accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to
attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical
or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee
Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in
keeping with local, state, and federal laws. To apply, visit
www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your resume, cover letter, and
writing sample. Please mention where you saw this posting when
applying. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact
only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone
calls, emails, or in-person resume drop-offs. Applications will be
reviewed on a rolling basis. If you experience technical problems
while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need
assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care
at 1-800-889-4422. For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.
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Keywords: Natural Resources Defense Council, New York , Attorney, Legal , New York, New York
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