Legal Assistant Jobs

Job Title: Legal Assistant
Department: Legal Department, Environmental Law Program
Location: Denver, Colorado
Reports To: Operations Manager
Supervises: None

Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 800 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope: Sierra Club is seeking a Legal Assistant to join its national legal team as a Legal Assistant for Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program (ELP). The Legal Assistant will provide litigation support to advance the mission of the Environmental Law Program and Sierra Club campaigns, conduct legal and factual research, and manage programmatic aspects of ELP.

Job activities include but are not limited to:

Litigation

• Interviews potential standing declarants and drafts standing declarations under the supervision of attorneys.
• Collaborates with attorneys, paralegals, and other ELP staff to complete the critical, precise tasks of litigation, including editing, formatting and otherwise preparing legal documents, communicating with court clerks, and filing and serving documents properly and on time.
• Drafts and submits Freedom of Information Act and Public Records Act requests under the supervision of attorneys.

Campaign/Research

• Monitors and reports all relevant public information regarding permitting, public notices, and media relating to current and potential legal actions relating to coal plants and other priority targets of Sierra Club campaigns.
• Conducts miscellaneous research and prepares reports in support of Sierra Club campaigns.
• Tracks and records the status of litigation, rulemakings, etc. to enable access to legal and technical resources by the network of attorneys and allied organizations collaborating on Sierra Club campaigns.

Administrative

Performs a range of administrative and clerical duties which include scheduling, invoice processing, reimbursements, travel logistics, copying, collating, faxing, supply ordering, filing, event planning and organizing for ELP, mail pickup, and managing various spreadsheets for general program information.

Standard Overtime

This position requires occasional overtime to meet special deadlines, projects, other staff absences, or emergencies. Under these circumstances, overtime will rarely exceed 5 hours per week or 15 hours on a monthly basis.

The successful candidate must demonstrate the following skills, experience and competencies:

The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following experience, skills and competencies:

Knowledge of energy and climate data sources and familiarity with government climate/energy policy and litigation procedures.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this position is $62,000, non-negotiable.

This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit and is subject to the terms and conditions of the contract between Sierra Club and Progressive Workers Union.

The Sierra Club offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a retirement savings 401(k) plan.

This is a category 6 non-exempt PWU-represented position.

Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

Sierra Club values the expertise and talents of foreign nationals. Sierra Club sponsors both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas when certain criteria are met, based on immigration laws and organizational needs. Such sponsorship is at the discretion of the Department Head and Sierra Club Human Resources in consultation with the employee’s manager. The Sierra Club cannot guarantee the approval of a visa petition. The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.

To Apply
Please submit your resume here.

The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

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