Associate Attorney

Center for Food Safety • Portland, OR

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

Center for Food Safety (CFS), one of the nation’s top food and environmental nonprofits, seeks an Associate Attorney to join our team. The Associate Attorney position is a two-year position with the possibility of promotion and continuation with CFS. Designed for attorneys in the early stages of their environmental/advocacy career, the Associate Attorney works with the rest of the CFS legal and policy team and participates in all phases of public interest impact litigation and administrative advocacy on an ever-expanding variety of cutting-edge food and environmental issues, in support of CFS’s overall mission and its specific program areas, including but not limited to:
Consumer Advocacy
Farmworker and Farmer Protection
Food and Climate Change
Food Labeling/Right to Know
Genetically Engineered Organisms and Monocultures
Industrial Animal Agriculture
Industrial Aquaculture
Pesticides & Other Toxins
Pollinator & Wildlife Protection
Public Health
Regenerative Agriculture: Organic & Beyond

Requirements

• Law school graduate with 1-3 years of legal experience (clerkship, administrative/environmental/animal law, or related area preferred)
• Admission to the California or Oregon bar or a willingness to be licensed in either state within one year
• A passion for enforcing and strengthening environmental and food/ag laws
• Excellent legal research and writing skills
• Self-motivation and willingness to do administrative tasks
• Ability to work collaboratively with others in a small, team-oriented environment

Nice To Haves

• Interest or a background in food and agriculture issues is a plus, but not required

Responsibilities

• Work closely with other CFS attorneys, policy and communications staff, scientists, coalition partners, and clients to build cases and support policies
• Participate in a variety of tasks in litigation and administrative advocacy, including factual investigation, legal research and analysis, negotiation, discovery and record review, briefing, and oral advocacy
• Represent CFS and clients in state and federal rulemaking and agency engagement
• Maintain and develop organizational partnerships with new clients, allies, and coalition partners
• Promote and educate the public and media on various CFS issues
• Assist with hiring and supervision of law clerks

Benefits

• CFS offers a competitive compensation package, a flexible and hybrid work environment, and a four-day work week.
• In addition to salary, we also offer a discretionary annual bonus and employer retirement plan contributions.
• Benefits include medical, vision, and dental insurance, disability insurance, pre-tax medical savings plan, and generous vacation and leave policies.
• As a 501(c)(3) organization, CFS is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees