General Summary

The Senior Counsel provides legal support for the advocacy campaigns run out of the Washington, D.C., office. The Senior Counsel also advises the campaigns on legal compliance and risk mitigation and assists in administrating the Law Department. The Senior Counsel may also engage in special projects, including researching new campaign issues or geographic areas; providing legal support to campaigns run by other Oceana offices around the world; assisting in defending Oceana against legal claims brought by outside parties; and performing other tasks managed by the Law Department as needed.

Salary range: $115,000 or commensurate with experience

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Works as an integral part of campaign and policy staff to help achieve campaign and policy goals, including:
  • Providing strategic advice to campaigns, such as:
    • Identifying options for achieving goals in view of the relevant legal and regulatory framework; and
    • Devising litigation strategies and arguments.
  • Conducting legal research and other analysis necessary to support Oceana’s campaigns.
  • Drafting and contributing informal letters, formal comment letters, and other advocacy documents.
  • Working with campaigns to achieve goals while minimizing reputational and legal risks of written materials and verbal statements and complying with regulatory requirements, such as lobbying disclosure rules.
  • Conducting in-person advocacy with outside decision-makers.
  • Supporting litigation by working with Assistant General Counsel to obtain representation for Oceana; acting as liaison among campaign, Legal Department, and outside counsel; and assisting outside counsel in litigation tasks.
• Assists in preparing litigation reports for the Board.
• Manages Legal Department interns, including:
  • Supervising, reviewing work, mentoring, and giving feedback; and
  • Recruiting.
• Performs other administrative work as necessary to support the Department and program staff.

Job Requirements

Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctor
• Must be, or able to become, a member of good standing in the District of Columbia Bar
• Minimum of five years legal experience related to the principal duties and essential functions.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • administrative law
  • environmental law
  • litigation
  • international law.
• Well-developed written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to take initiative and be creative in suggesting and implementing ways to accomplish Oceana’s goals; and
• Computer literacy and ability to use latest technologies in operation in current modern office environments.
• Familiarity with law of the EU and EU countries and fluency in another language a plus. 

Required Competencies: 

• Communicate effectively: Is effective in a variety of communication settings: one-on-one, small and large groups, or among diverse styles and position levels.
• Collaborate: Brings people together to leverage their skills, talent and knowledge to achieve a common purpose. Creates synergy resulting in a combined effort with greater results than what can be achieved by individuals.
• Resourceful: Securing and developing resources effectively and efficiently.
• Action-oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.

Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.

Note: Oceana requires all employees to provide proof of vaccination against Covid. Accommodation for new hires who have disabilities that make the vaccine medically inadvisable or those who have a sincere religious belief that the vaccine is impermissible may contact humanresources@oceana.org. Accommodation will be provided only as required by applicable law. 

Oceana's US offices have operated on a hybrid schedule and staff have been required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home Monday and Friday. Oceana continually evaluates safety protocols and updates our practices on an ongoing basis based on the CDC community level color coding system of green, yellow and red.