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 a Senior Litigating Counsel to work with the Litigation Team in one of our U.S.-based offices. 

POSITION SUMMARY  

The Senior Litigating Counsel litigates significant cases on behalf of NRDC and allied community groups and individuals. This role will lead cases and supervise the litigation work of other Litigation team members.  

The position you are applying for is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035).  

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 and assistance with Team litigation (~95%)  

• Develop, lead, and prosecute the most complex and institutionally important cases for NRDC and its allies, including evidentiary cases that go to trial and/or U.S. Supreme Court merits cases, managing all aspects of the case from initial development through briefing, oral argument, other court hearings, and appeals. 
• Lead cases and projects that advance organization-wide strategic priorities or help develop a body of law; guide litigation strategy across a wide area of practice to achieve priorities. 
• Resolve cross-cutting institutional issues, including potentially inconsistent positions and interests in different cases. 
• Model and teach excellence in litigation on behalf of NRDC and outside partners. 
• Supervise support staff and attorneys on case teams, including attorneys who are themselves leading cases and managing case teams, providing guidance and support to achieve excellence while fostering growth and development. 
• Participate in decisions about what cases NRDC will pursue; develop and nurture relationships with NRDC’s advocacy staff and outside allies to identify and develop potential litigation. 
• Willingness to provide oversight to NRDC attorneys outside the Litigation Team. 
• Demonstrate broad expertise in environmental and/or administrative law, and federal or state court practice, to identify novel and unforeseen opportunities. May specialize deeply in particular types of litigation or particular areas of the law, e.g., evidentiary cases or state-court strategy. 

Other Team or institutional engagement (~5%) 

• Contribute to the growth of the Team and NRDC’s litigation capacity in other ways, such as by serving on institutional committees, presenting trainings, language, 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. 

Minimum Education & Experience:   

 
Required 

• Juris Doctorate degree. 
• Admission to the state bar in the jurisdiction in which the applicant intends to practice. 
• Minimum 12 years of active litigation experience, including at least three years of experience leading significant, complex and/or coalition litigation and supervising others on case teams. 
• Extensive experience with appellate briefing, record-review litigation, or summary judgment motion practice. 
   

Preferred 

• 15 or more years of active litigation experience.  
• Experience with pretrial discovery, including written discovery, fact and expert depositions, and witness examinations at trial or other evidentiary hearings. 
   

Skills, Abilities, Competencies  

• Demonstrated competency in working with people with different social identities (including race, gender, sexual identity or orientation, age, class, and disability). 
• Exceptional legal writing, research, analysis, and oral advocacy skills; an ability to engage in nuanced analysis, interpretation, and distinction of complex and sometimes conflicting legal authorities, evaluate an argument’s impacts on the development of the law and strategize beyond a specific case; deftly manage a case team and coalition; and participate in complex strategic decisions and negotiations. 
• Broad knowledge of relevant environmental and/or administrative law and issues of federal practice. 
• Demonstrated commitment to public service, equity, or social justice. 
• Ability to lead and inspire teams, to mentor and support less experienced lawyers and staff, to build collaborative and respectful relationships within the Litigation Team and across NRDC, and to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. 
• Ability to travel to other NRDC U.S. offices, and to attend court hearings and other case-related meetings, as appropriate (approximately 10% or less of total working time annually). 
• 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 $160,000 to $184,000.  

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 résumé, 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 résumé 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.