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11 Apr 2019

Full-Time Law Practice Manager

Sierra Club – Posted by Sierra Club ELP Oakland, California, United States

Job Description

The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization and has successfully used litigation to protect communities and our environment for over half a century. The Sierra Club is currently seeking a Law Practice Manager to join our Environmental Law Program management team. We are seeking an attorney or paralegal with at least five years of litigation experience, proficiency in discovery and document management, excellent project management skills, and a strong understanding of legal ethics and rules of professional responsibility. Applicants must demonstrate outstanding interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic, ability to collaborate with (and mentor, as necessary) lawyers, legal assistants, and non-legal staff, and a deep commitment to helping create an equitable and inclusive workplace. Prior management experience is strongly preferred. An environmental law background is not necessary, but applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to public interest work and passion for the Sierra Club’s mission.

To apply, please visit: https://chm.tbe.taleo.net/chm01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=SIERRACLUB&cws=39&rid=1326. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please attach your resume and cover letter stating how your background has prepared you to contribute to the Sierra Club’s mission, including its commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and justice, and a brief description of your availability or anticipated start date to the completed online application.

Sierra Club is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce.

Job Title: Law Practice Manager

Department: Program – Oakland, CA

Reports To: Law Program Deputy Director

Context: Manages personnel and procedures supporting litigation brought by the Environmental Law Program.

Scope: The Law Practice Manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining departmental procedures and systems related to Law Program litigation. The Law Practice Manager is a key member of the Law Program’s management team, responsible for document-management, electronic litigation support, and other institutional systems necessary for the Law Program’s litigation efforts. The Law Practice Manager also oversees personnel providing litigation support to Law Program attorneys, manages Legal Assistants, provides training to newly-hired assistants and supervises the work of support staff as needed. The Law Practice Manager is also expected to be able to perform advanced litigation tasks, when needed and appropriate.

Job Activities:

  1. Under the Deputy Director’s supervision, manages Law Program systems used for conducting and responding to discovery, (Logikcull, Box etc.). Establishes and oversees best practices for discovery. Functions as the primary point of contact for attorneys for tasks related to conventional and electronic discovery, including but not limited to, drafting initial disclosures, interrogatories, and requests for production of documents. The Law Practice Manager is also responsible for managing the receipt, review, indexing and organization of responses and documents received from opposing counsel.
  2. Oversees the work of Legal Assistants performing litigation-support roles, including filings, document-and pleading-management, litigation holds, calendaring, document retention, discovery, and trial support. Maintains, and where necessary establishes, Department-wide procedures and protocols and systems for litigation support.
  3. Manages Legal Assistants, including tasking of direct reports, performance reviews, and other personnel-management tasks. Participates as a member of Law Program management team, assisting with overall management of the department.
  4. Functions as the primary point of contact for training new legal assistants in all matters related to the Law Program’s work, including but not limited to, the basics of the American legal system, including topics such as jurisdiction and venue, the nuts and bolts of state and federal litigation, managing court dockets and preparing documents for filing, standing declarations, information act requests, factual research, Sierra Club organization,structure and work. Supervises, monitors, and mentors legal assistants in all aspects of their work as needed.
  5. Conducts advanced legal research and analysis, where needed, with demonstrated proficiency using a wide range of sources, including Westlaw, treatises, governmental agency websites, court websites and local rules, private and public databases such as SNL, and the internet.
  6. Conducts advanced factual research and analysis, where needed, with demonstrated proficiency using a wide range of sources, including the internet, private, public, and Club databases, such as LANDS, and contacts with non-governmental organizations and state and federal agency staff. Performs factual cite-checking. Often functions as the primary point of contact with state and federal personnel on specified matters.
  7. Supervises and trains new legal assistants and Club staff on how to interview potential standing declarants and draft written declarations. Interviews potential standing declarants and works with them to draft standing declarations, especially for complex or complicated legal matters or in sensitive situations. Responsible for drafting template background informational memos and interview questions used by paralegals and legal assistants in standing declaration work.
  8. Oversees federal Freedom of Information Act Requests, state public records acts requests, and fee waiver requests. Researches and drafts template federal and state requests. Functions as the primary point of contact for records acts requests and works with state and federal governmental staff to coordinate the scope, timing and delivery of responsive records. Creates detailed indexes cataloging records received and analyzes records to determine their value to attorneys. Determines the extent of withheld and redacted documents and calendars dates by which appeals must be submitted.
  9. Drafts substantive documents in support of conservation and litigation campaigns, including but not limited to, comment letters regarding numerous types of state and federal authorizations such as air permits, water permits, National Environmental Policy Act documents, as well as pleadings and related documents for proceedings before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.
  10. Under the Deputy Director’s supervision, establishes and maintains systems for records management. Establishes and maintains best practices for records management. Oversees maintenance of confidential documents, for example those subject to protective orders and non-disclosure agreements. Helps maintain case files and records. Helps create, populate and manage litigation databases.
  11. Under the Deputy Director’s supervision, conveys legal information to Sierra Club stakeholders and allies.
  12. Under the Deputy Director’s supervision, confers with and assists outside counsel and others involved in environmental litigation.
  13. Serves as legal resource for Club membership.
  14. Participates in the development and delivery of strategic, programmatic litigation campaigns. Works with attorneys to develop case strategy and manage litigation dockets.
  15. Analyzes legal cases and trends for Club leadership.
  16. Helps fundraise for program by drafting educational, informational, and fundraising materials for program.
  17. Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Knowledge & Skills:

  • Bachelor’s degree and either Law Degree or Paralegal Certificate.
  • Minimum of (5) five years attorney or paralegal experience involving the preparation and processing of legal documents, litigation- management, and case support.
  • Ability to perform work with very minimal supervision and a high degree of autonomy.
  • Ability to take ownership of projects and complete assignments under tight deadlines.
  • Ability to supervise, train and monitor support staff, and work cooperatively with other departmental managers.
  • Strong writing and analytic skills. Knowledge of principles and procedures of legal research and writing and the ability to understand and summarize case-related documents.
  • Ability to gather and organize legal evidence.
  • Ability to do precise, legal work for judicial and administrative filings, etc.
  • Knowledge of, or ability to learn, current and developing legal issues in environmental law.
  • Solid interpersonal and consensus-building skills; ability to work well with volunteer membership.
  • Advanced proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint).

The Sierra Club offers competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a retirement savings 401(k) plan.

This is a category 4 exempt position.

Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.  Sierra Club does not sponsor H1B visas.

The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.

*If you are applying for more than one position with us, please attach your job-specific cover letters in the ‘Attachments’ section.

How to Apply

To apply, please visit: https://chm.tbe.taleo.net/chm01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=SIERRACLUB&cws=39&rid=1326

Job Categories: Environmental. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: Attorney, Environmental Law, Law, Lawyer, Legal, Litigation, manager, and Paralegal.

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