Bozeman, MT

Position Title: Conservation Counsel

Organization: Property and Environment Research Center

Location: Bozeman, MT

Position Overview: For the first time, PERC is hiring a Conservation Counsel to join them in achieving meaningful legal and policy reforms on cutting-edge environmental issues. This position will be a key part of PERC’s growing Conservation Law and Policy Center and will help shape environmental law and conservation policy in favor of innovative, market-oriented solutions. The role will involve research to identify opportunities and obstacles to such solutions, drafting regulatory comments and amicus briefs, and strategic litigation. The conservation counsel will work closely with and report to the Vice President of Law and Policy.

Duties:

• Legal and policy research (25%)
• Develop and publish cutting-edge legal scholarship on opportunities and obstacles to the use of property rights and incentives to advance conservation
• Promote PERC’s research and perspective to law audiences, including legal academia
• Conduct in-depth legal analysis to support PERC’s broader research and applied efforts
• Advise the policy team on the legal implications of proposed model legislation and other policy reforms
• Regulatory policy (25%)
• Track the development of regulatory policy, including federal rulemaking
• Draft comments on proposed regulations
• Assist the policy team in representing PERC in the regulatory process, including meetings with federal agencies
• Amicus briefs (25%)
• Track environmental and property-rights litigation concerning land, water, and wildlife
• Draft amicus briefs presenting PERC’s perspective and research in cases affecting property rights and conservation incentives
• Collaborate with outside partners to build support for PERC’s litigation and amicus projects
• Strategic litigation (25%)
• Work with the Vice President of Law and Policy to identify issues that merit PERC’s direct engagement in litigation
• Engage with landowners and external partners to identify prospective clients and build public-interest cases advancing PERC’s approach to conservation
• Draft briefs and other litigation documents

Qualifications:

• Skills and Experience Required
• A.J.D. from an accredited law school
• 0-5 years litigation experience
• Stellar writing skills
• The ability to translate complex legal issues for non-legal audiences
• Driven, self-motivated, and excited to take initiative
• Team player
• Flexible and highly adaptive
• Preferred Qualifications
• Experience in conservation, environmental, or property rights litigation
• Track record of producing impactful scholarship on environmental law or property rights
• Familiarity with WestLaw
• Admitted to practice law in Montana or eligible to obtain admission

How to Apply:

Please submit the following to this email

• Resume
• Cover letter detailing: 1) interest in the role 2) understanding of PERC and our approach to conservation
• 2 writing samples
• 3 references