You: An entrepreneurial freedom fighter with a passion for property rights and fighting onerous governmental regulation. You are determined to become one of the best property rights litigators in the nation. Your drive will make you a national spokesperson for liberty—you speak at conferences, engage the media, and publish scholarship on the intersection between property rights and the environment. You want to be part of a team of freedom fighters and you elevate your colleagues, clients, and allies in order to achieve a freer society. 
Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources. But fortunately, like all lumbering giants, abusive government is most vulnerable when countered by individuals who act strategically and nimbly, take calculated risks, have each other’s backs, and are confident in and passionate for the cause—the very sort of swashbucklers we employ in spades here at PLF.
Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 12 victories out of 14 cases heard by the Court. We also have more than a hundred active cases across the nation.
We are a next-generation public interest law firm. What does “next generation” mean for a legal nonprofit? It means we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.
Here’s what you get to do in this role:
You will be an entry-level attorney (2-5 years experience) in PLF’s environmental law practice group. From Rapanos to Sackett to Hawkes, PLF’s environmental litigation is unparalleled. You will find and work on landmark cases at the intersection of property rights, the environment, and administrative law. Your ideas will help shape PLF strategy by identifying and litigating emerging legal theories. And your determination will lead to you being recognized as a nationwide leader on environmental law. You will give speeches, attend conferences, appear on radio and television, and publish op-eds and scholarly articles.
You will work on teams with junior and senior attorneys, adding your skills and perspective in order to elevate our team’s ability to win important victories for liberty. You will have the latitude to think big and the resources to execute. You will be at the forefront of shaping the law for all Americans.
In a nutshell, we’re seeking an environmental law specialist who’s passionate about liberty, property rights, and administrative law, someone who is confident and magnanimous, and someone who is a bold and relentless freedom fighter.
Getting down to brass tacks, your specific job duties will likely include:
- Winning environmental law cases! Finding, developing, and litigating important environmental law cases, particularly involving the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.
- Advocating for property rights and the separation of powers both philosophically and practically. Speaking with organizations, trade groups, academia, and media to advance PLF’s strategic environmental law goals. (A deep knowledge of the moral and constitutional basis for property rights and the separation of powers is a huge plus.)
- Writing persuasive pieces for both scholarly and lay audiences. Drafting op-eds, journal articles, and blog posts.
- Working with other attorneys as you battle and set the agenda for PLF’s environmental law practice.
This role is ideal for someone with:
- 2–5 years of litigation experience, experience as a federal law clerk counts
- Demonstrated interest in property rights, environmental law, and the separation of powers
- Passion for PLF’s mission
- Outstanding interpersonal communications skills
- Knowledge of and passion for the ideas of freedom and individual liberty
- Willingness to travel approximately 10-15%
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT WORK ARRANGEMENT AND BENEFITS:
Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.
As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, CA; Arlington, VA; and Palm Beach Gardens, FL, though approximately half of the staff work from home across the country. You can work physically in any of our offices or request to work virtually.
This is a full-time, permanent position. PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent available nationwide, and we offer a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, medical and dental insurance, and employer-paid retirement savings. We take work-life balance seriously through our generous paid leave and flextime policies. We have a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment. We take pride in investing in your future and encourage internal advancement. PLF is the place for someone principled, tenacious, and determined to succeed in positively shaping the future of our country and restoring real limits on government power. Join us.
TO APPLY:
Qualified candidates should submit the following in one PDF file with your name in the file:
- Your resume, including your experience in the liberty movement and relevant professional experience
- A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, what distinguishes you from typical applicants, and your salary requirements.
Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.
There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.
Questions can be directed to Katelynn Barbosa, Talent Engagement Manager of Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: [email protected]
While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.
Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide free consulting and recruiting services to free-market think tanks, policy organizations, research centers, and capacity-building institutions dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government and free enterprise.
