Job Description

Food & Water Watch works 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.

Food & Water Watch’s legal team is advancing a broad and creative docket of litigation and regulatory advocacy to counter the many environmental, social, and public health impacts of the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) industry and advance our long-term campaign to ban factory farms. We are seeking a Staff Attorney to build our legal advocacy to combat this inherently destructive model of livestock production. The Staff Attorney will be responsible for developing and implementing strategic impact litigation at the state and federal level, engaging in regulatory processes, and coordinating with our organizing, policy, and communications teams to effectively integrate legal strategies into our grassroots campaigns across the country. We prioritize legal actions that will advance our long-term goal of replacing the current corporate-controlled, industrial food and farm system with a diversified, sustainable food system that will protect the environment, family farms, food chain workers, public health, and animal welfare.

This position is a Union position covered under a contract between Food & Water Watch and the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU).

Essential Responsibilities:

• Research, develop, and implement various legal strategies, including federal and state litigation, to address the impacts of existing and proposed CAFO operations in the United States.
• Engage in state and federal regulatory proceedings to strengthen existing environmental and public health protections and oppose regulatory rollbacks. Use administrative strategies to propose and advocate for new protections.
• Provide legal support related to CAFO issues for our in-house organizing team and key partners.
• Contribute to policy analysis and development, including the review and drafting of local, state, and federal legislation, to promote a rapid shift away from CAFO livestock production to a more diversified, sustainable system.
• Attend meetings with policymakers at both the state and federal level to undermine the structural drivers of the CAFO system and promote policy solutions to support alternative systems of livestock production.
• Act as a public spokesperson for FWW, including to the media and at public forums, community meetings, conferences, and public hearings.
• Work in formal and informal coalitions with numerous ally organizations on CAFO issues.
• Help develop educational and press materials such as factsheets, action alerts, website content, press releases, and newsletter articles on various CAFO issues.
• Help coordinate and participate in events, including panel discussions and webinars.
• Travel as required for litigation, meetings, conferences, and other events.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Support our culture of philanthropy: All staff must assist in fundraising and development for the organization. All staff must demonstrate an understanding that our members and supporters make our work (and our salaries) possible and should provide the highest level of customer and member services to people outside the organization. While your job position does not require you to raise any particular amount, you are expected to always be an “ambassador” for FWW/FWA and our work. All staff are expected to help with and participate/attend events and other activities as appropriate that are organized for our supporters and donors. All staff are expected to be cognizant of fundraising opportunities and to share contacts and information that will help build and sustain FWW/FWA.

Qualifications:

• Education: JD from an accredited law school with bar admission.
• Experience: At least 1 – 3 years as a practicing attorney focused on environmental litigation, ideally with some legal experience working on CAFO issues.
• Knowledge: Legal advocacy and litigation; familiarity with environmental issues, particularly around CAFOs; working with the media; familiarity with grassroots organizing; legislative strategy and familiarity with federal and state legislatures.
• Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong legal writing; strong interpersonal and planning skills; strong organizational skills.
• Capabilities: Ability to think creatively and quickly to respond to rapidly changing events and circumstances; ability to work well with a wide variety of people and to coordinate diverse tasks; comfortable presenting aggressive viewpoints to a mix of audiences; ability to present technical concepts to a mass audience; can-do attitude and commitment to public interest work; work well under pressure; manage a full docket and prioritize multiple responsibilities; high level of independent judgment.
• Conditions: Strong interest in and commitment to promoting the goals of Food & Water Watch.
• Applicant must be legally eligible to work in the United States.

Compensation:

$70,000 – $95,000 depending on location and experience. We offer an excellent benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid medical/dental/long-term disability, 403(b) retirement plan, and generous paid leave.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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