Careers
Staff Attorney (Corporate & Transactional Law)
Animal Defense Partnership
About Animal Defense Partnership
Animal Defense Partnership (ADP) provides pro bono legal services to nonprofit organizations working to protect animals. By helping these organizations navigate legal challenges, strengthen their operations, and build sound organizational foundations, ADP enables them to devote more of their resources to advancing their missions.
Position Description
ADP is seeking an experienced transactional attorney to join our legal team. The Staff Attorney will provide direct legal services to nonprofit organizations working in animal protection, advising clients on a wide range of transactional and organizational legal matters.
This position offers an opportunity to apply legal expertise to meaningful, mission-driven work while serving a diverse group of nonprofit clients. The Staff Attorney will independently manage a portfolio of client matters, collaborate with ADP's legal team, and contribute to the development of educational programs and resources for the animal protection community.
Because ADP's work is driven by the evolving needs of its clients, the successful candidate must be comfortable working across different areas of transactional law, taking on a variety of legal matters, and developing proficiency in new areas as needed. We are looking for an attorney who combines strong technical skills and sound professional judgment with initiative, adaptability, and a commitment to excellent client service.
We welcome applications from attorneys with corporate or transactional experience in private practice or in-house roles. Prior experience in animal protection or nonprofit law is not required.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary: $100,000 annually
Schedule: Full-time, remote position (40 hours per week) with flexible scheduling and no regular Friday meeting or availability expectations
Health benefits: Employer-funded qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangement (QSEHRA)
Paid time off: Generous paid time off and sick leave
Family and medical leave: Up to 12 weeks of paid leave for qualifying family and medical needs
Key Responsibilities
Provide high-quality legal advice and services to nonprofit clients on a broad range of matters, including contracts, corporate governance, entity formation, nonprofit compliance, employment-related matters, and other organizational legal needs.
Independently manage client matters from intake through completion, including defining the scope of representation, providing legal advice, drafting and reviewing documents, maintaining accurate records, and ensuring timely project closure.
Research and analyze legal issues, including matters outside established areas of expertise, and develop practical, legally sound recommendations tailored to clients' needs.
Maintain clear, professional, and responsive communication with clients and colleagues.
Manage multiple concurrent legal matters, balance competing priorities, and maintain consistently high standards of accuracy, thoroughness, and client service.
Collaborate with other members of the legal team on complex matters, emerging legal issues, and opportunities to improve ADP's services.
Develop and maintain legal templates, guidance documents, and other resources for ADP's clients and legal team.
Contribute to educational programming and materials, including webinars, written guidance, and other resources for nonprofit organizations.
Adhere to ADP's procedures for matter management, documentation, and client service.
Maintain high standards of professional ethics, confidentiality, and responsibility.
Required Qualifications
J.D. degree from an accredited law school.
Active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
Minimum of five years of substantive transactional legal practice experience.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage transactional legal matters, advise organizational clients, and draft and review legal agreements and other transactional documents.
Strong legal research, analytical, drafting, and problem-solving skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
Ability and willingness to work across multiple areas of transactional law, including researching unfamiliar legal issues and developing the knowledge necessary to handle new types of matters competently.
Excellent organizational and matter-management skills, including the ability to balance competing priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain thorough and accurate documentation.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain legal issues clearly and provide practical guidance to clients.
Sound professional judgment, reliability, accountability, and a commitment to delivering consistently high-quality legal services.
Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively as part of a small legal team.
Commitment to ADP's mission of supporting organizations working to protect animals.
Preferred Qualifications
Broad corporate and transactional experience, particularly in contract drafting, corporate governance, entity formation, and general business counseling.
Experience advising nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations.
Experience serving as outside general counsel or otherwise advising organizational clients on a variety of legal and operational matters.
Experience working with small or growing organizations that have limited internal legal resources.
Experience developing legal education materials or presenting legal information to nonlegal audiences.
Candidates with experience concentrated in a particular area of transactional law are encouraged to apply, even if they do not meet every preferred qualification, provided they have the skills and interest to work across a broader range of legal matters.
Apply
Please send a resume and cover letter to apply@animaldefensepartnership.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early applications are encouraged.