Job
Senior Lawyer

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Organization Name: Friends of the Earth
Location: London or Leeds office, United Kingdom
Apply email: Not Specified
Start Date: 20 Jul 2019, 11:54 am
Closing Date: 18 Aug 2019, 12:00 am

JOB TITLE: Senior Lawyer

REPORTING TO: Head of Legal

TEAM: Political, Legal and Planning

CAREER STAGE: Band C

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent

LOCATION: London or Leeds office

LINE MANAGEMENT: Legal Interns and/or Volunteers

PURPOSE OF ROLE

To provide Friends of the Earth with legal advice and representation in support of our overall aims and objectives, including to: inform and/or develop campaign strategy and tactics, identify and develop strategic litigation opportunities, and/or to help win campaigns.

To provide legal advice and representation to external clients to advance Friends of the Earth’s aims and objectives, and to help win campaigns.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

• Provide legal services, advice and representation to Friends of the Earth and external clients if required - such as community groups or individuals.
• Lead, be accountable for and/or deliver on agreed major projects
• Recruit and/or manage legal interns and/or volunteers.
• Contribute to the management of the legal team (or agreed projects), including contributing to the development of its strategy, and support or manage more junior members of the legal team.
• Educate and train colleagues, campaigners and activists and target groups on key legal issues.
• Build and maintain relationships to further Friends of the Earth’s aims and objectives.
• Represent Friends of the Earth externally to a variety of audiences as a main contact for the legal team, and at the highest levels; including with lawyers, campaigners, local communities, politicians, senior civil servants, and in the media.
• Defend, promote and strengthen environmental law and access to environmental justice, including by applying expert knowledge creatively and in new ways to achieve this.
• Be aware of and follow Friends of the Earth policies and procedures, with particular attention to: Risk Management; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; and our values.
• Attend training as necessary and update own Continuing Professional Development record.
• Provide expert advice to priority areas of environmental and/or planning law as relevant to current campaigns, and be Friends of the Earth’s legal expert in agreed areas.
• Work with fundraisers to grow Friends of the Earth’s legal capacity or fundraising success in relation to legal work and the legal internship scholarship.

PERSON SPECIFICATION (ASSESSED AT SHORTLISTING STAGE)

Essential

• Qualified solicitor or barrister, with substantial post qualification experience.
• Currently practicing in England and Wales public law and can demonstrate a depth of expertise (from legal practice or academia) in either environmental or planning law.
• Has conducted environmental cases in the administrative or planning courts, at tribunals, or at planning inquiries, with examples of success.
• Demonstrable experience of having presented complex legal information in various forms to non-lawyers, or to a range of public audiences and events.
• Has dealt with a wide range of people such as: technical experts, local campaigners, general public, politicians, government and other officials.
• Proven research and policy formation, or lobbying and representation skills.
• An understanding of, and commitment to, environmental protection and social justice.

Desirable

• Current experience of managing staff or volunteers.
• Managed cases in the Appellate, Supreme and/or European Courts or at planning inquiries.
• Knowledge of climate, international environmental and/or human rights laws.
• Knowledge of defamation law.
• In-house experience of providing legal advice.
• Experience of campaigning and the role the law can play in achieving social and political change.
• Successful fundraising experience.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES (assessed at the interview)

• Ability to successfully manage competing priorities under pressure.
• Organisational and management skills.
• Ability to work with people from a range of professional and demographic backgrounds – including local campaigners and lay-people – and communicate effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including diplomacy and negotiation skills.
• Commitment to Friends of the Earth’s aims and values.
• Results driven and an ability to work creatively and think strategically.
• A strong team orientated work ethic.

Apply at: https://jobs.friendsoftheearth.uk/vacancies/588/senior_lawyer/