NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, London, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.). 

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org 

Position Summary 

NRDC, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, employs over a hundred lawyers who practice law on a wide range of matters and in various jurisdictions throughout the United States. NRDC is seeking a highly knowledgeable and motivated Associate General Counsel to advise and support NRDC and its employees on a range of legal matters, with a primary, but not exclusive focus on legal ethics in the practice of law and complex professional responsibility matters, along with privacy, security, and other issues. 

Associate General Counsel will be part of the Office of the General Counsel, which provides in-house legal support to all NRDC programs and departments, and will also collaborate closely with attorneys on the Litigation Team. The position is based in our Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, New York, NY, Santa Monica, CA or San Francisco, CA office.  

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. Duties include:  

• Provide guidance to individual lawyers employed by NRDC and to NRDC as an institution on practice of law issues.  

• Conduct legal research, and develop and update memos, policies and guidelines on legal ethics and practices. 

• Interpret complex ethical rules across jurisdictions to ensure legal and professional standards are met within the organization.  

• Remain up to date on relevant areas of law and communicate relevant changes to staff as appropriate. 

• Serve as in-house resource on professional responsibility matters. 

• Serve as point of contact on litigation and legal contracts to resolve complex ethical and institutional matters.  

• Conduct conflict of interest searches for incoming attorneys and staff and identify areas of concern and provide guidance. 

• Provide periodic training to all NRDC lawyers and other staff, including but not limited to legal ethics, attorney-client privilege, attorney work product, and common interest privilege. 

• Work with relevant Legal Operations staff to ensure adequate procedures where conflicts are identified. 

• Collaborate with HR, IT and other departments to ensure policy and practices alignment. 

• Support cross-functional teams to address institutional risks, and investigate and resolve privacy and security matters. 

• Advise relevant staff leaders on emerging compliance trends and risks. 

• Perform other duties as required, including but not limited to legal operations and institutional risk management. 

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: 

• Law degree from an accredited law school 

• 4+ years of related experience, with at least 4 years as a lawyer in relevant area. 

• Strongly Preferred: In-house legal experience and/or equivalent education or experience 

• Experience with non-profit legal organizations a plus 

Skills, Abilities, Competencies

• Significant knowledge of professional responsibility law is preferred.  

• Willingness to develop additional expertise in relevant subject-matters. 

• Group presentation speaking experience a plus.  

• Ability to work both independently and in a collaborative team environment. 

• Member in good standing in possession of an active license to practice law in a state where NRDC operates and where applicant resides, or eligible to obtain admission within 6 months. 

• Communicate complex legal concepts clearly and succinctly, including to lay audiences, in both formal training and informal advising. 

• Excellent drafting, research, and written and oral communication skills. 

• Strong critical thinking and analytical ability, sound judgment, strategic orientation, and interpersonal maturity. 

• Ability to meet deadlines independently and with strong attention to detail. 

• Integrity, professional discretion and ability to handle sensitive/confidential matters. 

• Flexibility and ability to work well independently on multiple projects with a wide variety of people, at all levels of the organization. 

• Competence with and commitment to diversity and inclusion; ability to be an effective partner with diverse colleagues, leaders and partners. 
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position within the described work environment. 

Frequently: Perform desk-based computer tasks 

Frequently: Ability to interact and communicate with employees and others as necessary 

Frequently:  Attend planned meetings and collaborate with management and coworkers 

Occasionally: Ability to attend events and activities in the office or offsite  

Work is sometimes performed primarily in office.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations.  Hours of employment may sometimes require working flexible and/or longer hours, including nights and weekends, when necessitated by projects. The job includes work-related situations such as those involving challenging, important, urgent, time-sensitive, or multiple matters.  

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 $113,000 to $135,000.  

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.