General Counsel

POSITION TITLE: General Counsel

SUPERVISOR: President

LOCATION: Washington DC or Remote in the US

SALARY RANGE: CIEL offers a competitive salary with a midpoint of $150,000/year

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

CIEL, a 501(c)(3) organization, is searching for a dynamic leader to join us as the General Counsel.

Reporting to the President and Chief Executive Officer, the General Counsel is charged with providing independent, strategic legal guidance and management of organizational legal risks and opportunities. In this new General Counsel role for CIEL, you will partner with leadership to develop a strong legal framework in support of organizational effectiveness and innovation, nonprofit corporate, legal compliance, employment, labor, contract, and intellectual property, and risk management. Additionally, you will direct outside counsel in the event of litigation and advise on a wide range of matters, including evaluating and mitigating legal exposure and risk, and defense against SLAPP litigation. You will also provide input and advice on governance issues to the Board of Directors.

This role will be a great fit for you if you are a highly experienced and skilled in-house attorney with a track record of non-profit legal work, and commitment to social and environmental justice. You must strategically think about the big picture and how to always improve our legal systems and practices. You thrive and remain steady under pressure, efficiently manage priorities and projects, and possess great attention to detail.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Advising

Advise executives, senior management, and board on various matters such as legal rights, policy issues, internal governance, new and existing laws, legal trends, and mitigation. Emphasis will be placed on nonprofit corporate, legal compliance, employment, labor, contract, intellectual property, evaluating and mitigating legal exposure and risk, and defense against SLAPP litigation.

Collaborate with the Director of Talent, Equity, and Culture to ensure personnel policies and practices adhere to CIEL’s values and applicable law.

Legal Leadership

Develop and maintain a strong legal framework in support of organizational effectiveness, innovation, compliance, and risk mitigation, and ensure best practices are followed.

Establish an efficient, effective system for reviewing external communications to minimize legal exposure and risk.

If and as necessary, lead and drive successful litigation strategies, in coordination with outside counsel, to defend the organization and activists, including in SLAPP suits.

Collaborate with core leadership team to ensure CIEL maintains appropriate document retention policies and practices.

Ensure high-quality contract review systems to protect organizational interests.

Analyze and interpret issues and prepare legal opinions.

Anticipate issues and estimate risks strategically, identifying proactive solutions that will eliminate or mitigate risks.

Create and maintain strong working relationships with skilled outside attorneys across multiple practice areas and movement coalitions.

Liaise with external consultants and counsel, including in Geneva, as needed.

Compliance and Legal Matter Management

Ensure organizational compliance with federal, state and local laws, including non-profit corporate and tax, lobbying for 501(c)(3) organization.

Optimize and oversee compliance, including working closely with the Chief Financial Officer and HR Director to support and provide legal guidance on HR policies, compliance with employment and labor laws, financial regulation, and clean financial audits

Support Chief Financial Officer in ensuring timely charitable fundraising registrations and compliance with fundraising regulations, such as licensing forms and other statutory filings.

Examine and create draft agreements, such as employment and vendor agreements.

Maintain knowledge of organization’s operations and legal documents.

Create new entities and manage the organization's intellectual property.

Administration:

Maintain timesheets and submit them on time.

Meet periodically as requested, with supervisor and other team members.

Participate in weekly staff and team meetings and other organizational activities, including an annual staff performance evaluation.

Meet target dates, prioritize tasks, and ensure high-quality work products.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum 7 years of legal experience with 3 years in an attorney management role, including a track record for translating strategic thinking and legal analysis into action plans, outputs and results

Outstanding judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills

Ability to thrive and make decisions in a fast-changing and deadline driven environment, including managing multiple priorities and projects, anticipating future needs and maintaining attention to detail

Exceptional and persuasive written and verbal communicator, including experience working with non-lawyers and explaining complex legal concepts in a comprehensive way

An intrinsic and unwavering support for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and beyond

Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed

Juris Doctor degree from accredited law school and current state license to practice law

Knowledge of statutes, rules and regulations pertaining to businesses and nonprofit organizations

Knowledge of legal documentation procedures and requirements.

Ability to develop and implement legal strategies and solutions.

Desired Qualifications:

Experience with legal advising or representation of international, nonprofit, environmental, activist, and/or human rights organizations

At least 10 years of legal experience with 5 years in an attorney management role

Admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Washington, DC or Remote within the United States; located in Washington, DC is strongly preferred. CIEL offers a strong benefits package including employer-subsidized health, dental, and vision; paid vacation, sick, and parental leave; a 5% contribution of gross annual salary into a 403(b) retirement account; a relocation stipend; and paid sabbatical leave after 7 years. CIEL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and full-time employees qualify for the US Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Application instructions: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis; priority application review will take place on April 3, 2023. Desired start date: As soon as able. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and at least one relevant writing sample. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls, please. Note that CIEL does not sponsor visas of any kind. You must have prior authorization to work in the United States in order to be considered for this position.

Anonymous Demographic Survey: Please complete this anonymous demographic survey as part of your application to CIEL. The survey will only be used to help us evaluate our efforts to recruit a diverse pool of candidates. Your answers will not in any way be linked to your application, and the answers to the survey will not be handled by anyone on the hiring committee for the role.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with CIEL’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, CIEL requires US candidates to furnish proof of full COVID vaccination status in order to be hired for this position. ​​If you are not eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or vaccination is contraindicated by a licensed medical professional, you must provide documentation verifying this ineligibility or contraindication.

About CIEL: For 30 years, CIEL has used the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. CIEL’s dynamic team of international attorneys and experts work together in a collaborative and supportive work environment to tackle some of the most interesting and challenging issues facing people and the planet.

We are an equal opportunity employer, actively committed to the principles of multiculturalism and building an organization that is as diverse as the communities we serve around the world. We know that diversity and inclusion make us stronger, and we actively encourage qualified applicants with various backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and (dis)abilities to apply. If you need an accommodation or support with this application, please contact Human Resources at jobs[at]ciel.org.