Staff Attorney 

About SEACC

The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) is a small grassroots nonprofit based out of Juneau, Alaska, surrounded by the Tongass National Forest. Since 1970, SEACC has been a regional conservation watchdog, defending the remaining intact old-growth forests and waters of Southeast Alaska.

We partner with local communities, Tribes, businesses, and visitors to advocate for the conservation and sustainable use of our region’s natural resources, and preserve our uniquely Southeast Alaskan ways of life. We mix policy and technical expertise with grassroots organizing and communication skills to engage the public, advance new policy, and maintain and uphold existing protections, so that we ensure the interconnected whole of Southeast Alaska exists for future generations.

SEACC is committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our commitment to these priorities is being developed and elaborated by both staff and board on an ongoing, sustained basis, and our work towards living these values is interwoven across all our programs and departments, as well as into our day-to-day work practices. Any future team member should share these values and priorities.

Who we’re looking for

Are you someone who cares deeply about the lands and waters of Southeast Alaska? Are you action-oriented and interested in doing something meaningful to create impact for the long term benefit of our communities? Do you want to apply your legal skills toward protecting this one-of-a-kind place? Are you excited to support a team of campaign staff to strategize on and develop campaign goals? Do you find it satisfying to deep dive into research and help evaluate actionable paths in environmental watchdog work? Are you a strategic thinker; a planner and a doer who loves details and efficiency? Are you excited to empower the people and hold agencies accountable? Then you might just have what it takes to be our new Staff Attorney!

Position summary

SEACC is seeking a motivated legal professional to join our team as a Staff Attorney. The title and scope of this position will be tailored to the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate. The salary range for this role is wide to accommodate either an early 

career or more seasoned professional. At least five years of experience in the field is required to qualify for the higher end of the salary range. 

Position summary: Staff Attorney 

This position reports to SEACC's Executive Director and works closely with the Policy Analyst and campaign staff. 

The Staff Attorney will work independently and as part of a team, including with staff, community members, and partner organizations such as Alaska Native Tribes, commercial fishermen, business owners, local government officials, hunters and fishers, and other conservation groups. 

The ideal candidate will thrive in a rapid-fire environment with hard-working colleagues.  We are looking for someone who is innovative, creative, and passionate about Southeast Alaska, who can serve as our Staff Attorney and will primarily act as analyst and commenter on a wide array of technical and legal documents and permit applications, and lead our participation in processes with significant regulatory and legal components. This work will entail significant collaboration with outside attorneys, technical experts and others. This role is less focused on leading litigation and more ensuring our standing to influence regulatory outcomes with high-quality statutory basis in technical comments and sustained participation in permitting and planning processes. 

What You’ll Do

In coordination and collaboration with the SEACC team, you’ll work to further SEACC’s mission and vision in these key areas:

• Help translate complex legal and regulatory issues into accessible materials for SEACC staff, partners, and the public;
• Conduct legal research and analysis as well as produce written technical comments on proposed state and federal actions;  
• Develop technical comments, legal memoranda, FOIA requests, and talking points;
• Review legal mechanisms of proposed state and federal timber sales, mining permits, and other conservation-related actions in Southeast Alaska and flag emerging legal issues;
• Track and manage timelines for state and federal action requirements;
• Oversee and track research, document preparation, and comment submissions to build a strong public record on resource development projects;
• Ensure SEACC builds a strong record to preserve legal standing in case of future litigation;
• Represent SEACC in agency proceedings, public hearings, and coalition settings;
• Review and recommend possible cases for litigation;
• Guide SEACC campaign strategy grounded in statute, regulation, and policy, with the aim of influencing outcomes on the Tongass and Inside Passage;
• Assist with litigation in coordination with outside counsel and partner organizations

Who You AreAt minimum candidates MUST have:  

• Juris Doctorate or LLM in Environmental Law;
• Familiarity and experience with environmental law.

All candidates should bring:  

• Familiarity with the federal regulatory process, including NEPA environmental review, notice-and-comment rulemaking, and agency appeals;
• An understanding of Alaska government and politics;
• Genuine commitment to SEACC's conservation mission and the communities of Southeast Alaska;
• Comfort working in a small, fast-paced, and nimble nonprofit environment; 
• A collaborative spirit and ability to work with a team in both a project leadership and individual contributor capacity;
• Excellent legal research, analysis, writing, and speaking skills;
• Knowledge of legal procedures (federal and state);
• Admitted to the Alaska Bar or willing and able to do so as needed.

Other qualifications that would be beneficial

Experience with litigation in Alaska state or federal court;

• Demonstrated knowledge of public lands and Indigenous rights (including Free, Prior, and Informed Consent practices);
• Experience working with Tribal governments or on Indigenous rights issues;
• Big picture thinking: seeing beyond individual tasks to understand how they fit into the overall campaign strategy/SEACC strategy;
  
  

We know there is not one ideal candidate who has all of these traits — if you have a mix of interests, skills, and experience related to the above,  and a passion for this work — please don’t let a gap in your strengths for this role stop you from applying or reaching out. 

What Else You Should Know

SEACC recognizes, supports, and values all forms of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Compensation: This role is a full-time, exempt position, and the salary range for this role is between $78,000 and $115,000 with exact salary dependent upon experience. The top half of this range is intended for more experienced candidates with at least 5 years of experience in environmental law, administrative law, natural resource law, or related public interest practice.

We also offer excellent benefits, including:

• 3 weeks of paid leave your first year and 4 weeks of paid leave after one year, plus
• 11 federal and state holidays, plus
• fully paid healthcare, plus
• 12 days of medical leave annually, plus
• 2 days of community service or participation leave, plus
• a 401K plan with a 5% match that begins after just one year of employment, and
• In addition, the Executive Director closes the office between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day each year as a thank you to the staff.

Where you will work: SEACC’s office is located in Juneau, Alaska. Our preference is a candidate based in Juneau who would be able to fully integrate with the team here. But, there is flexibility and we’re open to considering remote candidates based in other Alaska communities for the right candidate. Candidates must be located in Alaska or willing to relocate.

Work Travel: This role will include some required work travel. Anticipate at least 1-3 work trips a year at minimum with the opportunity for more. Candidates based outside of Juneau would be required to travel to Juneau at least twice a year in addition to other work related travel.

Desired Start Date: As soon as possible but flexible to the needs of the selected candidate