Senior Level Attorney

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South.

Overview

SELC is seeking a staff or Senior Level Attorney to work across SELC’s six-state region as an environmental justice litigator. The preferred location for this position is in SELC’s Chapel Hill, NC office, but other locations will be considered. Please state any office preferences in your cover letter.

This is an excellent opportunity to be part of an organization that is successfully addressing some of the most important and challenging environmental justice issues in the South and the nation. This position is open to practicing attorneys with five or more years of experience.

SELC is enhancing and expanding our role as a strong and reliable advocate for environmental justice across our region as a top priority of our ten-year Strategic Plan. We are integrating environmental justice into our work, across all our program teams and offices. To accomplish those goals, we have created an Environmental Justice Initiative to coordinate this work. We are seeking an experienced litigator to join our Environmental Justice Initiative and enhance our capacity to bring cases that move the South toward environmental justice. This attorney will advocate and litigate at the intersection of civil rights and environmental matters throughout SELC’s six-state region.

This attorney will develop new cases on behalf of grassroots organizations and communities and add litigation capacity to existing SELC cases in state and federal court. This attorney will work closely with SELC’s Environmental Justice Initiative Leader, geospatial team, other attorneys, and other staff across our region. 

Responsibilities

The attorney can expect to:

• Litigate high impact environmental justice matters in state and federal court and in administrative and quasi-judicial proceedings.
• Represent SELC in public settings including coalition and community meetings, hearings, panel presentations and with press, with an emphasis on amplifying the voices of community partners. 
• Identify legislative, executive, and regulatory opportunities to advance environmental justice at the state and federal level.
• Convene and collaborate with environmental advocates, community organizations, neighborhood associations, and loosely formed groups seeking to achieve climate and environmental justice.
• Work as a thought partner on regional environmental justice strategy with the leader of SELC’s Environmental Justice Initiative.
• SELC currently has a hybrid work model with at least three days working in the office each week and up to two days working remotely. We require all staff to be vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to work in our offices.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of litigation experience.
• Strong litigation skills, work ethic, and a sense of initiative.
• The ideal candidate will be a skilled and multi-faceted lawyer with excellent academic credentials, litigation experience, a background in environmental justice laws, effective communication and interpersonal skills, a demonstrated ability to work well in a collegial setting, and a strong personal commitment to SELC’s mission.
• Needs to be an active listener and collaborator and have experience working with community-based organizations.

More About SELC

With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of over 200, including more than 100 attorneys, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, VA., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, DC.

At our core, we are place-based, rooted in our region, and connected with the communities and clients we serve. We believe in an equitable and inclusive workplace that reflects the rich racial and cultural diversity of our region and allows diverse perspectives to come to the forefront. We approach our work with the highest level of integrity, holding ourselves to high standards with an emphasis on honesty, accountability, and thoughtfulness. We value collaboration and camaraderie, realizing we are strongest when we work together and knowing that everyone has a critical role to play. We strive for impact through a strategic, bold, pragmatic, and ambitious outlook that is dedicated to achieving powerful results. We believe in these values and in the power of SELC. We hope you consider joining us. Learn more at www.southernenvironment.org.

Compensation

SELC offers salaries competitive with leading national environmental non-profits and an excellent benefits package. For more details about our benefits, please visit our Careers page.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to be directed to an online application where you may upload your application materials. Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and one writing sample. Interested people should apply immediately. There is no deadline for applications. We intend to fill this position as soon as possible and will accept and review applications until the position is filled.

SELC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace environment. We are eager to welcome new team members who share this commitment. We still have much progress to make, but our goal is to create and maintain a staff that, at every level, reflects the rich racial and cultural diversity of the communities where we work and the clients that we serve. Persons of all backgrounds—including people of color, women, people with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ candidates—are strongly encouraged to apply.