Assistant General Counsel

ABOUT GREENPEACE
Greenpeace is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest, creative communication and people power to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. In just the past year, we’ve secured a Global Oceans Treaty to protect wildlife and people who depend on healthy oceans. We persuaded the Biden Administration to phase out single-use plastics from federal operations. And we safeguarded healthy spaces, from national marine sanctuaries to bans on seabed mining to stopping liquefied national gas terminals poisoning Gulf Coast communities. Our work spans more than 50 years of fights and successes.

As an independent campaigning organization, Greenpeace does not accept funds from any corporations or government entities. The global Greenpeace network is headquartered in the Netherlands, with offices around the world in over fifty countries. Greenpeace USA is headquartered in Washington, DC.

POSITION SUMMARY

Greenpeace lawyers help change the world for the better by ensuring that Greenpeace organizations are internally strong and well-defended, as well as through proactive litigation and other strategic legal initiatives.

The Assistant General Counsel is charged with supporting the General Counsel and Legal Team in identifying and advising on organizational legal risks and opportunities. This includes working to protect the organization by, among other things, ensuring regulatory compliance, identifying and helping to mitigate risks and legally vetting publications, contracts and other documents.

The Assistant General Counsel may also work with outside counsel to assist in managing litigation to defend activists. Additionally, this role provides legal guidance and training to staff on a wide range of issues with emphasis on non-profit corporate, tax, employment, labor, contract, campaign finance, intellectual property and environmental matters. The Assistant General Counsel may also collaborate with attorneys in the global Greenpeace network to optimize movement lawyering principles, mitigate and reduce cross-organizational liability issues, especially related to global campaign activities.

This Assistant General Counsel is a full-time, hybrid, exempt, benefits-eligible position, preferably based in Washington, D.C. Candidates in other GPUS-authorized locations (DC, MD, VA, NY, NJ, CT) will be considered. This role reports to the General Counsel.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Guidance:

• Provide legal guidance and advice to various stakeholders, including leadership and staff, on a variety of in-house legal issues, such as nonprofit corporate, tax, employment, labor, campaign finance, publication review, contracts and intellectual property, as directed by the General Counsel and/or Deputy General Counsel
• Provide legal guidance on array of issues that may arise for one or more Greenpeace Inc. campaigns, which may include development and application of international treaties, domestic laws, legal threats, and opportunities to advance campaigns through legal strategies, as directed by the General Counsel and/or Deputy General Counsel,
• Work with colleagues in other Greenpeace national and regional organizations to integrate compliance considerations on relevant issues of U.S. law ,as appropriate

Legal Compliance:

• Assist in ensuring organizational compliance with federal, state and local laws, including non-profit corporate and tax, lobbying, political activities, contracts and entity separation for 501(c)4 and 501(c)3 entities –liaising with internal staff to support compliance processes
• Support fundraising work to ensure timely charitable fundraising registrations and compliance with fundraising regulations 
• Support one or more systems relating to registration and protection of organizational solicitation activities, intellectual property rights, grants management, contract management, and legal review of organizational outputs

Risk Assessment and Mitigation:

• Conduct risk assessments on organizational and campaign activities, and implement mitigation measures 
• Provide training to staff in at least one area to support and increase legal compliance
• Advise activists and organizations on legal risks and constitutional rights 
• Supervise outreach activities related to cases and campaigns

Communication and Collaboration:

• Collaborate in team problem-solving, litigation strategy, and project management 
• Build rapport and collaborate with attorneys around the global Greenpeace network, communicating the GPUS legal perspective and ascertaining and reporting back on the international perspective, to optimize movement lawyering principles and to anticipate, mitigate and reduce cross NRO liability issues, especially related to global campaign activities 
• Collaborate with the Legal Team and the Communications Department to develop communication strategies around cases and campaigns 
• Liaise and collaborate with outside counsel on various legal matters requiring subject area expertise

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned by the manager, as organizational or team priorities arise and/or shift.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of legal experience 
• U.S. J.D. or non-U.S. law degree with U.S. L.L.M. degree
• Admission to practice in a U.S. state and qualification to be admitted to the bar of the District of Columbia
• Experience with one or more of the following areas: nonprofit law; political law such as lobbying, PAC and Foreign Agents Registration Act compliance; contracts, employment, tax and labor law; First Amendment law; civil and/or criminal defense of activists
• Experience with environmental, human rights, and international law, preferred
• Experience working in-house or in management at a progressive non-profit, preferred
• Knowledge of U.S. political landscape, culture, social movements and socio-economic environment, preferred

Skills, Attributes and Competencies:

• Strong communication skills, including excellent written and spoken English skills, and legal writing
• Strong Project and task management skills
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities are a plus
• Adept at translating complex legal concepts into understandable and actionable insights for non-lawyer internal and external stakeholders
• Creative problem-solving skills, including the capacity to analyze complex issues and identify solutions
• Sound judgement to make informed decisions, negotiate, and implement conflict resolution
• Commitment to the mission of Greenpeace (including nonviolence) and to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Justice principles

Other:

• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, as needed (estimated as 1-2 times per quarter)
• Ability and willingness to work outside of normal business hours, across time zones and/or on weekends, as needed
• Ability and willingness to work in-person 1-5 days per quarter for team meetings and required in-person activities

COMPENSATION

Greenpeace offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverage with low contributions from staff. We have options for pre-tax flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care costs. Greenpeace employees enjoy generous 401K matching and time-off for vacation, sick, personal, and parental leave. After five years, staff are eligible for a paid sabbatical. To encourage public transportation use and biking, we offer subsidies for staff who choose to bike or ride mass transit to work. Greenpeace is committed to the growth and development of staff and fostering a creative workplace culture. For more information, check out our benefits plan. 

This role is a graded at a level 3, and a starting salary within the range of $78,668 - $100,014 is anticipated to be provided to the successful candidate having met the minimum requirements for this position consistent with reflecting our commitment to maintaining competitive and fair compensation practices.

If you want to save the world from climate change and believe in environmental and social justice, please submit an application on our careers page. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will conclude once we have found the best candidate.

Greenpeace is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, family/marital status, religion or other protected classes. We strongly encourage applications from marginalized communities. If you require assistance applying to this opportunity, please contact usa-resumes@greenpeace.org. 

Only applicants eligible to work and live in the United States without any legal restrictions need apply for this opportunity.