EU Aarhus Centre Lawyer ClientEarth Brussels, Belgium

Lawyer position in the Brussels office (3 years relevant legal experience).

About Us

ClientEarth is a public interest environmental law group founded in 2007. ClientEarth brings together law, science and policy to create practical solutions to key environmental challenges. Working in partnership with civil society and policy-makers, ClientEarth is committed to securing the rights of citizens and civil society to participation, information and justice in environmental matters. In Europe and beyond, ClientEarth’s 50 strong staff includes legal experts qualified in more than nine jurisdictions based in offices in London, Brussels and Warsaw. Our programmes cover biodiversity and ecosystems, climate and energy, and health and environment.

About the position

ClientEarth office in Brussels is looking to recruit a lawyer with a minimum of 3 years of legal practical experience for our European Union (EU) Aarhus Centre. ClientEarth founded the EU Aarhus Centre in Brussels. The Centre takes its name from the flagship ‘Aarhus Convention’, that is, the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, the most progressive international agreement for citizens’ rights to information and access to justice in Europe. The Centre aims to advance the principles of accountability, transparency and responsiveness for the good governance of EU institutions, and in particular to ensure that citizens are able to exercise their rights as granted by the Aarhus Convention. The Centre’s activities aiming at ensuring the compliance of the EU and its institutions with the Aarhus Convention are structured around four main streams: (1) ensuring a transparency framework through progressive EU legislations integrating Aarhus principles; (2) pursuing legal and institutional advocacy to change institutions behaviour and practice towards Aarhus rights; (3) assisting civil society organizations and individual citizens with their requests for documents, participation in decision making and access to EU Courts and (4) organizing events, trainings and disseminating information about Aarhus rights to stakeholders. 

This role will involve developing legal and advocacy strategy, conducting cases before EU institutions' or international complaint mechanisms on behalf of ClientEarth, carrying out legal and policy research, analysis and writing, interfacing with representatives of EU institutions, governmental authorities, NGOs, media and other stakeholders. 

The candidate should be a good communicator to both internal and external audiences, be able to influence, convince and collaborate, be able to identify issues and opportunities, to develop creative strategies in a rapidly shifting political and legislative landscape, and support all work with sound legal and technical expertise and analysis.

Job specifications:

Qualifications & Experience

• Law degree and professional legal practice qualification;
• Relevant professional experience (including 3 years legal practice experience).

Skills & Knowledge

• Strong knowledge base in EU law and institutions;
• Energetic and dedicated to working for the environment and in the public interest;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English to give authoritative advice and influence external stakeholders;
• Demonstrated ability to explain complex legal issues in lay language and ability to modify language, content, and style to address the needs of different audiences;
• Strong legal research, analytical, and advocacy skills and an interest in performing rigorous legal analysis in support of impactful work;
• Ability to work collaboratively within a small team;
• Ability to grasp quickly and accurately new and complex concepts as well as scientific, technical and policy issues, and new areas of law;
• Confidence and ability to work at a high level with legislators, policy makers, NGO partners and industry.
• Ability to balance priorities and work effectively with colleagues and partners of varied backgrounds and experience;
• Ability to take initiative and to contribute ideas and thinking to support development of strategies;
• Entrepreneurial spirit, excellent judgment, diplomacy, flexibility, solutions-oriented and creative approach;
• Team player and strong interpersonal skills.

This position is based in Brussels. You must be willing and able to travel within EU and potentially internationally, as the project requires.

To apply

Please send us your CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in joining ClientEarth and the contribution you believe you could make to the organisation. 

Please include ‘EU Aarhus Centre Lawyer’ in the email subject line, and identify the documents you are sending by including ‘EU Aarhus Centre Lawyer, [your name] cover letter’ and ‘EU Aarhus Centre Lawyer [your name] CV’ in the file name.

Please address your application to Anais Berthier, Senior Lawyer, ClientEarth, Avenue de Tervueren, 36 1040 Brussels and/or send it by email to jobs@clientearth.org. 

Recruitment is open now and you should send your application as soon as possible. Applications are scheduled to close on 23rd January 2013. Interviews are intended to take place at the beginning of the week commencing 4 February.

Please note that ClientEarth will only consider candidates who have the legal right to work in Europe.

If you have any questions about the roles advertised or recruitment process, please contact Patricia Del Rio (pdelrio@clientearth.org)