Staff Attorney I

Food & Water Watch (FWW) is looking for a Staff Attorney I to join our legal team and help advance our docket of litigation and other legal strategies aimed at furthering our mission and campaigns, with a focus on climate and energy matters. The Staff Attorney I will work closely with the legal, policy, organizing, and communications teams and other staff at FWW.

About Food & Water Watch:

Food & Water Watch is working to create a healthy future for all people and generations to come—a world where everyone has food they can trust, clean drinking water and a livable climate. Making this happen requires involving people in the pressing issues of our time at the local, state, and federal level, building on one win after another, as we develop a larger movement that has the political power to make our democratic process work. 

About the position:

The Staff Attorney I will report to the Climate & Energy Senior Staff Attorney and will work with other staff on the legal, policy, organizing, communications, and research teams to support FWW’s work. Under the supervision of the Climate & Energy Senior Staff Attorney and the Legal Director, the Staff Attorney I will lead, co-counsel, and collaborate on litigation from case development through appeals, advance pre-litigation and non-litigation strategies, and provide legal support to organizing campaigns and other FWW teams. The Staff Attorney I will primarily work on FWW’s climate and energy campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels.

Location: This position is approved for remote work in the U.S. Occasional travel may be necessary.

Responsibilities:                    

1. Lead and co-counsel litigation. Research, develop, and implement various litigation strategies. Represent FWW in litigation from case development through appeals to further FWW’s organizational campaigns and goals.
2. Lead other legal strategies. Lead engagement in select federal, state, and local regulatory proceedings, including rulemakings, to advance FWW’s priorities and build an administrative record for potential litigation.
3. Represent Food & Water Watch. Represent FWW in court, in meetings with federal and state government agencies and policymakers, and in coalition with many partner organizations. Act as a public spokesperson for FWW’s legal work, including traveling when necessary. Confidently take bold stances on behalf of FWW.
4. Act as party representative. Direct FWW’s engagement in litigation and legal strategies as a party and lead FWW’s coordination with outside counsel as needed.
5. Support Food & Water Watch campaigns. Provide legal support for our in-house organizing, policy, and research staff, as well as key partners.
6. Write to inspire action. Help to develop and review educational materials such as factsheets, action alerts, website content, and newsletter articles on various issues.
7. Support our culture of philanthropy: Demonstrate an understanding of the essential role of our members and supporters and consistently serve as an ambassador for FWW and our work. Be cognizant of fundraising opportunities and share contacts and information that will help build and sustain FWW. Provide fundraising support by drafting funding proposals and reports for legal work and interacting with funders as needed.
8. Carry out other projects, as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and bar admission in any U.S. state.
• At least two years of experience as a practicing attorney on environmental issues, with litigation background, and preferably on climate and energy issues.
• Excellent oral communication skills. Ability to present technical concepts to a mass audience.
• Excellent legal writing and other written communication skills. Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and has excellent grammar and proofreading skills; presents numerical data effectively and is able to read and interpret complex information.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills. Uses time efficiently and develops realistic action plans; meets deadlines and adheres to specific timelines; tracks multiple processes to meet internal and external deadlines.
• Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness and looks for ways to improve and promote quality of own work. 
• Adapts well to changes in docket priorities and in the work environment. Handles several projects concurrently and has the ability to think creatively and quickly to respond to developments and to take advantage of breaking news.
• Possesses a can-do attitude and demonstrated ability to work well under pressure. Demonstrates excellent problem-solving skills; proactively identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully.
• Strong judgment. Displays willingness to make timely decisions; exhibits high-level, sound, independent, and accurate judgment.
• Demonstrated leadership and collaborative capabilities. Ability to work well with a wide variety of people and to coordinate diverse tasks; contributes to building a positive team spirit; able to put the success of team above own interests; supports everyone’s efforts to succeed; provides excellent internal and external client service.
• Strong work ethic. A desire to be part of a dynamic and motivated team, and a demonstrated commitment to environmental protection. 
• Commitment to FWW’s core values of justice, human dignity, fair treatment, and equity.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse racial, ethnic, class, age, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds.
• Ability and willingness to promote and uphold office policies and procedures.
• Proficiency with Adobe Pro and Microsoft Office products including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work remotely using basic online programs, including email, Slack, and Google docs.

Desired but not required skills and experience: 

• Significant knowledge of and experience with the Clean Air Act.
• Significant knowledge of and experience with state and local land use and permitting processes.

Compensation: $72,000-$90,000 annually dependent upon experience and location.

Food & Water Watch provides an excellent benefits package for full-time employees. This includes 100% employer-paid health, dental and vision plans for staff; 403b retirement plans with employer contribution once eligible; 12 weeks paid parental leave; 3 weeks’ vacation for new employees; 12 sick days and 5 personal days; paid federal holidays and winter break (December 24 – January 1).

This position is a bargaining unit position covered under a contract between Food & Water Watch and the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas.

Click here to apply. Please include your resume, cover letter, and three professional references to be considered. Position open until filled. Incomplete applications will not be considered. We will review your application and if we feel that your knowledge, skills and abilities are potentially a good match for our organization, we will be in contact with you. 

Food & Water Watch is an equal opportunity employer who encourages applications from women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other members of underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Food & Water Watch is committed to the health and safety of its staff members. Moreover, FWW, as an organization, promotes science-based policy. Science clearly shows that unvaccinated populations drive the spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of new variants, and that unvaccinated people are more likely to contract COVID and experience severe symptoms. Effective immediately, it is strongly recommended that prospective new staff members provide proof of vaccination.