BASIC FUNCTION AND PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:

Save the Redwoods League (“League) is looking for a highly organized and detail-oriented Legal Assistant to join our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing administrative and legal support to the League’s in-house attorneys, including conducting research, preparing legal documents, maintaining records, managing calendars and correspondence, and assisting League staff with legal department processes. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, the ability to work independently and as part of a team, and significant experience in the legal field. Experience supporting in-house counsel, nonprofit work, and a passion for the redwoods or environmental causes are highly desirable.

With supervision, this person supports the General Counsel in the full range of the General Counsel’s responsibilities. This includes serving a varied and integral role in organizing and processing all League contracts and transactions related to land acquisitions, forest stewardship and management projects, as well as providing legal support to all League departments and functional areas. This person will also assist the General Counsel on governance matters related to the Board of Directors and Board Committees, internal policies and procedures, staff training, and general compliance matters. The individual will work closely with staff from all departments to ensure their legal requests are processed efficiently.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:

The individual will work hand-in-hand with the League’s General Counsel and Legal Counsel on a wide range of projects. Characteristic responsibilities include:

Conservation Programs Support:

Assist with legal department processing, review, and approval of real property transaction documents, including purchase agreements, escrow instructions, deeds, conservation easements, licenses, legal correspondence, and other transactional documentation.
Coordinate and work with General Counsel to provide legal support to League staff in negotiating, documenting, and implementing real estate transactions.
Coordinate and support program staff on tasks and communications with governmental agencies, landowners, and title companies.
Provide due diligence assistance including review of title reports and documents, appraisals, and other real estate transaction documents.
Provide legal-related administrative support and document management on real estate transactions.
Assist with legal department processing, review, and approval of memoranda of understanding, contracts, grants, and other documentation in support of the League’s Restoration, Science, and Connect programs.
Work with League staff and the General Counsel to produce high quality written memoranda and draft resolutions regarding conservation projects for Board approval.

General Contracts Support:

Support and assist staff from all departments in drafting, editing, and submitting commercial contracts for attorney review, in compliance with League standards, policies, procedures.
Manage contract approval process and assist with document management for the organization.
Ensure proper document and contract template management, retention, and filing.
Coach and train staff at all levels of the organization on legal department processes, procedures, templates, forms, and software used to manage legal workflow (currently Asana).
Assist staff from other departments in tracking contract termination dates, contract amendments, and ensuring that all necessary contractual documents are received, saved, and properly filed (insurance, ACH, W9s).
Provide training regarding contract forms and processes to new and current staff.

General Legal Support:

As department administrator, act as the initial point of contact for legal questions, provide calendar support, and coordinate meetings for League attorneys with internal and external parties.
Review and manage incoming legal requests to ensure timely and efficient support is provided.
Organize, maintain, and manage document filing and retention for key legal, corporate, and Board materials.
Support the General Counsel in preparation for Board and Committee meetings, assist with taking minutes, and manage follow up tasks.
Assist the General Counsel and other executives with the League’s public policy work as assigned.
Assist in researching, organizing, tracking, and filing both Board and organizational policies and procedures.
Assist the General Counsel in orienting new staff, and training current staff on organizational policies, procedures, and risk analysis.
With input from the General Counsel, act as the lead in organizing and managing League insurance policies, invoices, renewals, and claims processing.
Assist the General Counsel to ensure League compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and industry accreditation standards including Land Trust Alliance standards and practices.
Act as lead in receiving, reviewing, organizing, and processing outside counsel invoices, including correctly coding invoices and submitting to finance for approval.
Assist the General Counsel and Legal Counsel in providing timely and effective legal support to all departments, and coordinate cross-functional projects with staff from Finance, Development, Marketing and Communications, Operations, and Human Resources.
Perform legal research and provide written summaries as requested.
Research, organize, and summarize Board policies, procedures, resolutions, and other governance information stored in SharePoint.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Associates or Bachelors degree or equivalent experience/training.
5+ years’ relevant experience at law firm or in-house legal department, including experience with one or more of the following areas: real estate transactions, contracts administration, nonprofit law and governance, environmental law, trust and estates, and/or support of senior attorneys or in-house counsel.
Experience with Asana project management software, or proven ability and aptitude for learning contract or project management software.
Familiarity with local, state, and federal laws, policies, and programs that affect the League and its work.
Exceptional project management and organizational skills.
Strong experience with Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and SharePoint.
Experience with online legal research platforms.
Experience handling complex tasks under pressure and stringent time constraints.
Ability to produce high quality work product with few, if any errors. Strong writing skills are required.
Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communications skills.
Ability to establish and monitor priorities, maintain flexibility, and meet deadlines.
Ability to work independently as well part of a team.
Direct experience in nonprofit administration, governance, regulatory compliance, and corporate record-keeping preferred.
Paralegal and/or legal research experience is a plus.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:

Actively utilizes computers, telephones and other office equipment
Frequently moves about the office to collaborate with colleagues.
Regularly sits at a desk or computer workstation

Work Schedule:

This role is hybrid with a minimum of 1-2 days onsite per week. For the first 3 months this position will be onsite more frequently for training. After 3 months, our weekly in office day is Tuesday (when everyone living in the SF Bay Area is required to come in). Additional days are based on business needs.

Compensation and Benefits

As a full-time exempt employee, you will be eligible for full benefits which includes medical, dental,and vision insurance, three weeks of vacation annually plus holidays, and a 403(b) retirement plan, currently with an up to 8% company match. We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience and internal & external salary equity considerations; the hiring range for this position is $75,000-90,000 per year.

Save the Redwoods League is fully committed to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Goals. The League welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.

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Legal Assistant