Lawyer – Climate & Forests Programme

Our forests are under threat from a combination of deforestation, illegal logging and climate change. Join us as a Lawyer in our Climate & Forests Programme and help strengthen the implementation and enforcement of global and national legal forestry frameworks.  

For the last eight years, ClientEarth has been working on improving the operation of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which seeks to address one of the key drivers of deforestation by preventing illegally logged timber from accessing the EU market. While EUTR implementation has improved over the last few years, there is still much to do. We plan to scale up our previous work with current and new effective strategies. Our work includes both policy engagement and strategic legal advocacy and litigation when appropriate.

In this role, you will need to use a mixed set of approaches including legal research and analysis, capacity building and training, as well as developing cases and engaging with complaint mechanisms. You will be working both independently and with partners across the EU and beyond.

Meet your Manager

In this role, you will be managed by Jody Quirke. Jody joined us in February 2020 as a lawyer for the Climate and Forests Programme. Based in our Brussels office, the main focus of his work is on improving the implementation and enforcement of the EUTR. Prior to joining ClientEarth, Jody worked for the European Commission for the Chemicals Unit in DG Environment. He also worked with the Irish Department of the Environment on international climate change issues. He holds a Bachelor of Law degree and a Masters in Planning and Sustainable Development from University College Cork, Ireland.

Main Duties

• Developing and maintaining a robust knowledge of the EUTR; EU transparency legislation; the timber trade and finance flows supporting the timber trade.
• Mapping innovative policy and legal strategies to reduce deforestation
• Engaging in all aspects of the identification and preparation of selected forest-related casework
• Responding to requests for EUTR-related information
• Supporting the development of content and publication of a quarterly newsletter on EUTR-related topics
• Conducting research about implementation and enforcement of the EUTR
• Conducting outreach and training

Role requirements

• Law degree
• Experience of EU law/lawmaking and knowledge of EU institutions and processes
• Experience of relevant legal practice in an EU Member State/at EU level
• Working knowledge and/or interest in the environment/climate change and forest management
• Excellent legal analysis skills
• Excellent legal writing and advocacy skills
• Fluency (CEFR level C2) in English (essential)
• Fluency (CEFR level C2) in another European language (highly desirable)

Further Information

Have a question about this job? Please visit our Careers site for advice on applying, FAQs, and more.

ClientEarth values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We aim to appoint the most suitable candidate at all times and welcome applications from people from all different backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our organisation.

Please note that ClientEarth is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in Belgium.