Staff Attorney

Trustees for Alaska seeks a full-time Staff Attorney to join our team working in Anchorage, Alaska to protect a wild and vibrant Alaska where fish, wildlife, and people thrive. The Staff Attorney candidate must have at least 4 years of legal experience overall.  Ideal candidates would have at least 2 years of experience working in environmental law, including litigation, as well as experience working on Alaska-specific issues. All candidates should have a proven ability to foster coordination and cooperation among diverse groups to achieve goals. We strongly encourage people of color, persons with disabilities, women, LGBTQ+ applicants, and people of diverse lived experience to apply.

About Trustees for Alaska

Trustees for Alaska is the only Alaska-based nonprofit, public interest, environmental law firm founded and focused in Alaska, providing free legal counsel to protect and defend Alaska’s lands, waters, wildlife, and communities. Trustees has been a legal force of environmental advocacy in Alaska since 1974. We take on the most pressing conservation issues in Alaska for a variety of clients who bravely fight for their rights and for the health and cultures of Alaska for future generations. We work on issues ranging from oil and gas extraction and large mining projects to public land protection, air and water pollution, and the protection of wildlife. We help shape Alaska’s environmental future. For more information, see http://www.trustees.org.

Job Responsibilities

Staff Attorneys report to the Legal Director and are responsible for the following:

• Managing a diverse case load that may include coalition-based administrative, judicial, and legislative work.
• Working with program staff, clients, and partners to develop and implement legal, political, outreach, communications, and other strategies.
• Representing Trustees for Alaska and clients in public forums and with the press.
• Assisting with administrative, communications, and fundraising tasks as needed.

Skills

This position requires strong legal and collaboration skills, and a commitment to social equity and racial justice, along with an eagerness to understand how these issues play out in communities impacted by pollution, industrialization, and the climate crisis. Other qualifications required include:

• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and interpersonal skills
• Critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Experience managing judicial, administrative, or legislative projects
• Admitted to practice law in Alaska, eligible for reciprocity, or willing to sit for the next available Alaska bar exam
• Ability to foster, work within, and support a collaborative, team-based environment, including within large and diverse coalitions
• Humility and strong understanding of the importance of resilience

Knowledge of Alaska, scientific background, and environmental and administrative law experience are all pluses.

Education and Experience Desired

• Law degree from an accredited law school
• At least 4 years of legal experience is required (with at least 2 years in environmental law, and with litigation and Alaska-specific work experience preferred).

Working Conditions

The position is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We have a preference for a Staff Attorney working locally in our Anchorage office, although we will entertain remote work proposals. We work a 40-hour week using a flexible work-from-home and in-office hybrid model. Trustees also employs a Flexible Friday policy to be used at the Staff Attorney’s discretion to engage in “deep work” that requires cognitive attention free of distraction; to wrap up tasks, plan ahead; or to simply rest, relax, and recreate to support personal and professional resilience. Our office environment is supportive and dog- and child-friendly. We occasionally travel, including to remote areas.

Trustees Is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We commit to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and we are an equal opportunity employer. We value the varied life experiences all people can bring to our work. We make employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements, and individual skills and qualifications. We prohibit harassment and discrimination of any kind, including related to race, sex, age, culture, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, languages spoken, parental status, veteran’s status, color, education, religion, medical history, disability, and sexual orientation. Respecting each other is an integral part of our organizational culture, and we cultivate a work environment that recognizes the strength of diversity and the contributions everyone can bring to our mission. We make gratitude, kindness, and a supportive work environment central to the way we work together.