Legislative Assistant

Earthjustice is the nation’s premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to advance clean energy; and to combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, supporters, individuals and communities to engage the critical environmental issues of our time, and bring about positive change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with thirteen offices across the U.S.

This position provides administrative and legislative support to Policy and Legislation Healthy Communities and Climate & Energy Teams, and assists in the implementation of legislative and administrative strategies on environmental issue priorities for Earthjustice.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lobbyist Support (70-75%):

• Attends, takes accurate notes and reports back on legislative hearings and briefings as directed by PAL lobbyists.
• Attends and takes accurate notes on conference calls as directed by PAL lobbyists.
• Assists PAL staff in lobbying Congress as directed by PAL lobbyists (phone calls, community lobby days) and reports the results of same.
• Manages Hill e-mail blasts.
• Schedules Hill meetings as directed by PAL lobbyists.
• Monitors legislation and federal rules of interest to PAL.
• Keeps apprised of issue areas PAL staff work on.
• Act as general point of contact for the department for Hill staff, the public, clients and other Earthjustice staff.
• Coordinates and organizes fly-ins and events, including budget management, travel, catering, meeting scheduling and serves as main contact for attendees.
• Plans and staffs events like Hill briefings, receptions and meetings as requested by PAL lobbyists.
• Researches, writes, proofreads and edits a variety of materials including but not limited to fact sheets, action alerts, memos, and blogs.
• Creates and maintains vote/target list/vote count spreadsheets and databases as requested by PAL staff.
• Conducts research on Members of Congress and issues of interest to PAL.
• Moderates listservs for lobbyists as requested.
• Monitors media coverage of interest to PAL.
• Assists in booking travel for clients and partners.
• Assists Communications Strategist, Policy and Legislation as requested.

Administrative Support/Internal Coordination (15%):

• Stays apprised of technology of help to the department (such as bill tracking software).
• Coordinates closely with legislative assistant colleague and assists same when needed.
• Serves as liaison between PAL and Earthjustice Web Master, e-mail alert team and other Earthjustice departments as directed by supervisor.
• Assists Social Media team with PAL twitter account scheduling, drafting social media materials, and live-tweeting as requested.
• Assists Office Assistant and Office Manager regarding PAL administrative functions and needs as requested.

Supervision (10-15%):

Recruits, supervises, and manages projects of PAL interns as required

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• Experience with the legislative process and/or environmental experience a plus;
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office 2016 (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access), Google Drive, and CongressPlus;
• Strong organization skills, including ability to work collaboratively in teams managing multiple projects with complex deliverables in a fast-paced environment; 
• Outstanding oral and written communications skills, including excellent command of spelling, punctuation and grammar;
• Good judgment, professionalism, composure under pressure, and a sense of humor;
• Proven ability to take initiative;
• Demonstrates an awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations;
• Contributes to the creation of a diverse, equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences;

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits that are comprehensive and competitive. We also offer an extremely congenial work environment and a casual dress code. 

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit the following online via the Jobvite system:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• 1-2 page writing sample

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.

For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.