Associate General Counsel

Key Responsibilities

• Support the General Counsel on strategic cross-functional legal issues, helping to identify and assess legal risks and provide solutions-oriented legal guidance.
• Assist the General Counsel to support all SRL departments and program needs, advising on a wide variety of matters across several different practice areas, e.g. intellectual property, conservation transactions, nonprofit law, Tribal law, human resources, government affairs, insurance, lobbying, litigation and dispute resolution, marketing and development matters, and commercial contracts.
• Cook up and oversee the work of outside counsel as needed.
• Collaborate with Legal Counsel and Legal Coordinator on internal legal operations, processes and staff training.
• Contribute to legal department planning, prioritization and continuous improvement.
• Support Legal Counsel, as needed, on drafting, editing and reviewing SRL templates, commercial contracts, grant agreements, licenses, and other transactional documents.
• Conduct legal research, draft memoranda and prepare recommendations for staff, Board, and executive leadership.
• Participate in organization-wide initiatives and strategic projects requiring legal input.

Corporate Compliance and Risk Management

• Advise, in coordination with the General Counsel, on California nonprofit and corporate law, tax-exempt organization requirements, state and federal reporting obligations, and Land Trust Alliance compliance.
• Draft, review, update and implement organization-wide policies and procedures to support legal compliance and effective risk management.
• Coordinate and support internal cross-functional meetings, and collaborate with other department leaders regarding strategic priorities and associated legal workflow.
• Be a reliable source of business and legal advice as a trusted senior organizational leader.
• Support SRL fiscal and operational checks and balances.
• Provide guidance and training for staff on legal or compliance-related issues.

Board Governance and Executive Support

• Serve as a core partner to the General Counsel regarding corporate governance, organizational risk management, and compliance matters.
• Support oversight and maintenance of SRL Board governance framework, advise on best practices, and assist with the review and preparation of Board materials including background memos, resolutions, and minutes.
• Aid the General Counsel in overseeing Board policy development and compliance, as well as onboarding training for new Board Members and Councilors.