Senior Legal Counsel for Energy Equity

Job Description

Senior Legal Counsel for Energy Equity

The Greenlining Institute envisions a future where communities of color can build wealth, live in healthy places filled with economic opportunity, and are ready to meet the challenges posed by climate change. With equity practice and systems change guiding us, we incubate and advocate for new ideas and build bridges with diverse communities and partners to ensure that race is never a barrier to opportunity.

The Senior Legal Counsel for Energy Equity focuses advancing just decarbonization policies that balance economic, climate and racial equity needs. The aim is to ensure affordable, clean, and self-determined energy services for communities of color. To achieve this aim, this role works with external partner organizations and advocates through the CPUC and other local and state energy providers.

MAJOR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Legal Policy Research and Analysis

• Develops a thorough understanding of the issue area, the policy-making process, the political landscape and the key stakeholders
• Critically analyzes racial disparities by leading research activities including environmental scans, literature reviews, listening tours, stakeholder interviews, and best practice reviews
• Prepares and presents top-quality analytical reports and recommendations for just and inclusive policy solutions
• Provides legal and legislative analyses, drafting legislation and other written products for various legal and non-legal audiences
• Drafts legislation, amendments, executive actions, regulations, and guidance
• Prepare testimony, briefs, comments, petitions, motions, and other pleading documents to be filed with regulatory agencies
• Develops compelling data, infographics, fact sheets, new articles, blogs and other political and educational materials to reach a variety of audiences

Stakeholder Engagement

• Conducts outreach with community advocates, government, universities and private sector representatives to build a stronger coalition in support of the policy aim
• Helps organize, participate in, and conduct trainings, webinars, and conferences to build awareness and knowledge related to policy area
• Raises the visibility of issues that impact communities of color by writing news articles and blogs that attract positive media attention
• Represents the organization and the team through speaking engagements at hearings, conferences
• Implements a variety of approached to influence specific legislation through direct and grassroot lobbying
• Hosts convenings and stakeholder meetings that bring different kinds of people together to work for powerful solutions
• Builds political will by presenting Greenlining’s policy positions to strengthen support from public and government officials involved in policy decisions
• Presents written and oral testimony to the legislature and state agencies
• Speaks at legal and policy conferences

Coordinate Advancement of Policy Aim

• Defines scope and goals of individual work plan with strong alignment to team goals.
• Handle multiple projects simultaneously including setting targets for milestones, adhering to deadlines and securing necessary resources
• Coordinates internal efforts when issues require collaboration with colleagues
• Tracks policy developments across the state of California in specific area of focus
• Makes effective recommendations throughout the policy life cycle when presented with obstacles or opportunities to accelerate the policy aim
• Assesses short- and long-term impacts of enacted policies to determine the degree to which desired outcomes have been achieved
• Identifies and promotes opportunities to strength impact of enacted policies

Other General Duties

• Strengthen commitment from funders, including giving input to grant proposals and supporting Greenlining’s Annual Economic Summit
• Model equity and inclusion practices, supports skill-building and shares knowledge with colleagues
• Supervises a union staff member or mentor a Greenlining’s Leadership Academy participants

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities:

• Promotional opportunity available with two or more years of experience as a Legal Counsel
• Juris Doctor degree and admitted to the California Bar.
• Experience serving as a spokesperson on complex legal policy issues
• Ability to dive deep on legal aspects of public policy issues
• Demonstrated commitment to Greenlining’s mission and experience in advancing social justice, equity and inclusion for people of color
• Proven ability to work with emotional intelligence, navigating individual and team conflicts productively, with empathy and integrity
• Deep understanding of California’s policymaking process with demonstrated success in championing the specific policy aim in ways that serve low-income communities of color
• Ability to prepare well organized written reports and other communications
• Ability to deliver effective presentations to diverse groups and present complex information in a meaningful way
• Proven track record of achieving results through influence and collaboration by building coalitions and working with a broad array of constituency groups such as business, policy makers, and community advocates
• Excellent research skills with the ability to synthesize, translate, and implement information from multiple sources into a coherent strategy and workable plan
• Strong project management skills to manage multiple priorities, stakeholders, and workflows
• Ability to work with some independence responding creatively and strategically when confronted with complex and multifaceted opportunities and challenges
• Ability to monitor progress towards goals, track measures of success and report back through project completion
• Ability and willingness to travel, as needed, to meetings and conferences throughout the state and possibly other locations
• Experience using Slack, Google Suite, and Microsoft Office Suite strongly preferred
• Experience working with media, including print, radio, television, and social media
• Fundraising experience
• Experience coaching and managing staff in a unionized environment and ensuring adherence, support and understanding of the collective bargaining agreement

This position is classified as Salaried, Exempt (FLSA).

The scope of responsibilities is not limited to those listed above and may change as organizational needs evolve. Specific work plan goals are developed each year to inform performance targets.