• POSITION TITLE: Senior Attorney
• PROGRAM: Climate & Energy
• FOCUS AREA: Legal Pathways to Fossil Fuel Phaseout
• SUPERVISOR: Climate & Energy Program Director
• LOCATION: Switzerland, USA, or Remote
• SALARY: CHF 107,000 - CHF 130,000 depending on qualifications
• DURATION: 12 month contract
• DEADLINE: Rolling deadline, first review August 12, 2024

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) uses the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. Through innovative legal advocacy and global campaigning, cutting-edge research and analysis, and strategic communications, CIEL’s Climate and Energy (C&E) Program works to halt the drivers of climate change and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, protect human rights and the planet from the impacts of the climate crisis and responses to it, and hold States and corporations accountable for their contributions to climate-induced harm.

CIEL seeks a Senior Attorney to support the C&E Program’s work to eliminate legal barriers and develop legal pathways to phase out fossil fuels. Specifically, the Senior Attorney will undertake research and analysis to inform the negotiation and design of an international legal instrument to halt the expansion of fossil fuels, manage their decline, and ensure a just transition to a fossil-free future. Among their primary areas of focus, the Senior Attorney will assist CIEL with legal research, analysis, drafting, and advocacy in support of work to remove legal barriers to fossil fuel phaseout, such as investment law protections, and identify pathways to, and key elements of, a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and/or other complementary supply-side legal instrument(s). The Senior Attorney will also provide assistance to other aspects of the Program’s work to halt expansion and accelerate the phaseout of oil and gas, as needed.

The ideal candidate will have substantial expertise in public international law, including international environmental law, trade, and environment, as well as a robust understanding of the global oil and gas industry, and experience with treaty negotiations. Experience with environmental agreements that include trade provisions is a particular plus. The Senior Attorney will have impeccable research and writing skills in English. Responsibilities include: performing original legal research and analysis; proposing functional international legal frameworks for regulating fossil fuel phaseout; helping to develop legal and advocacy strategies; working in civil society coalitions; and drafting legal memoranda and filings, communications materials, and other documents. The Senior Attorney will be remote, but preferably based, and authorized to work, in the United States or Switzerland. This is a fixed-term (12-month), full-time, exempt position that reports to the Climate & Energy Program Director. The position may require some international travel.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Legal research and writing

• Research and draft original legal analyses, memoranda, and other relevant legal strategy documents
• Draft briefings, reports, white papers or other materials for dissemination to non-legal or non-technical audiences
• As requested or assigned by the Program Director, review and edit colleagues’ and partners’ documents

Strategy development and implementation

• Innovate and implement strategies to encourage State endorsement of and participation in a functional legal instrument to phase out fossil fuels; design and support effective avenues for its negotiation; and promote key elements or draft provisions related to the structure and content of such an agreement
• Keep abreast of developments related to supply-side fossil fuel policies, including the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative, the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, and other relevant international, regional or national platforms or programs

Partnerships and communication

• Maintain effective working relationships with relevant movement networks, partner organizations, communities, intergovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders
• Organize, coordinate, and participate in meetings and events to support program goals
• Assist in the design and implementation of strategies to inform, engage, and mobilize target constituencies in support of campaign goals
• Assist in the development of press releases, online communication materials, webinars, and other informational materials
• Represent CIEL in coalitions, public meetings, workshops, and other processes

Teamwork and internal collaboration

• Collaborate closely with other CIEL attorneys engaged in work related to investment and trade law, and international treaty negotiations
• Assist in information flow within the program and other CIEL programs
• Perform other job-related duties as requested or assigned by the Program Director

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Assist program team and other staff responsible for grant-writing and reporting by sharing information on program activities, deliverables, and expenditures, as needed
• Meet deadlines, prioritize tasks, and ensure high-quality work product
• Meet periodically as requested, with supervisor and other team members
• Participate in weekly staff and team meetings and other organizational activities, including performance evaluations and monthly timesheets.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications:

• JD or equivalent law degree with a focus on public international law, environment and trade, and/or investment law, climate change law, or international environmental law and policy
• 7 years experience practicing international law, including demonstrated knowledge or experience with treaty drafting or negotiation (up to two years of this experience may include post-degree clerkships)
• Superior legal analytical, writing, and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to write clearly and compellingly for a variety of audiences, including policymakers and the general public
• Demonstrated experience working with coalitions and a diverse range of people and groups
• Commitment to incorporating principles of justice, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the work.
• Ability to successfully work on multiple priorities concurrently, including having strong planning and organizational skills, and ability to work well under pressure.
• Ability to work both independently and in close coordination with a team.
• Able to travel internationally, and for periods of 1-2 weeks (public safety guidelines permitting).
• Fluency in the English language.

Desired Qualifications:

• Familiarity with oil and gas campaigning and knowledge of oil and gas industry operations or global markets.
• Knowledge of human rights law, comparative constitutional law, tort, criminal law, finance, criminal liability regimes in common law systems, or other areas relevant to climate law
• Communications experience, for example giving interviews, creating talking points, and blogging
• Proficiency in French or Spanish

Location note: This position may be eligible to work from the following locations:

• May be eligible to work hybrid from our Geneva, Switzerland office provided you have the ability to legally work in Switzerland,  (i.e., a citizen of EU/EFTA member states).
• CIEL has the capacity through an Employer of Record to hire employees in certain jurisdictions outside of where we are headquartered. Candidates may be eligible to work remotely from the US, depending on the US state, or other country and provided your work schedule can align with South/North American and African/European time zones. You must have obtained your own legal authorization to work and live in the country from which you wish to work. Not all jurisdictions are eligible.
• In our Washington, DC, USA office, provided you have obtained your own legal work authorization (CIEL cannot sponsor work visas).