Center for Food Safety: 2015 Legal Fellowship- San Francisco, CA

2015 Legal Fellowship Program

September 30, 2014

San Francisco, CA or Portland, OR

Overview: Center for Food Safety (CFS) is the nation’s leading nonprofit public interest and environmental advocacy organization that addresses the impacts of the industrial food production system on human health, animal welfare, and the environment. CFS represents over 500,000 farmer and consumer members nationwide. CFS works to achieve its goals through litigation, legislation, scientific reports, public education, grassroots campaigns, market pressure, and media outreach. CFS’s legal team manages an active docket of impact litigation and high-profile cases on issues related to genetic engineering, factory farms, food safety and food labeling, pollinators, pesticides, organics, aquaculture, soil and climate, seed diversity, and nanotechnology. Learn more at centerforfoodsafety.org.

Position Description: The Legal Fellowship is a paid, one-year appointment beginning in September 2015, with the possibility of an additional year if both parties agree. Legal fellows may be based in the San Francisco or Portland office and work alongside the legal team on litigation in federal and state courts, including appeals courts. Their work includes performing legal research, investigating and developing cases, drafting pleadings, participating in discovery, and supporting the legal team as needed through all stages of litigation. Legal fellows also participate in CFS’s policy initiatives by, among other things, submitting rulemaking petitions and comments to federal agencies and assisting in drafting state and federal legislation and local ordinances. Legal fellows are also expected to do necessary administrative tasks.

Qualifications: CFS is seeking motivated recent law school graduates interested in doing meaningful litigation and policy work on behalf of the public and the environment. The fellowship is open to students who graduated law school in 2013 or 2014, or who will graduate in 2015, including those completing judicial clerkships. The ideal candidate would have:

an interest in and experience with administrative and environmental law or another relevant area (including relevant coursework);demonstrated commitment to practicing public interest environmental law or food and agriculture law; excellent legal research, writing, and communication skills;self-motivation and the ability to work independently;a willingness to work closely with others and perform administrative tasks in a small, team‑oriented office environment; andtimely admission to the California or Oregon bar.

To Apply: Please email a cover letter, resume, list of three references (two may be from law school; one must be a legal employment supervisor), and non-academic writing sample to clerkships@centerforfoodsafety.org. Please indicate your preferred location by stating “2015 Legal Fellowship (San Francisco)” or “2015 Legal Fellowship (Portland)” in the subject line. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until December 31, 2014.

CFS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, nationality, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

CFS salaries are competitive and based on experience, and include a strong benefits package.

2015 Summer Clerk at Center for Food Safety- San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA 

CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/

Date Posted: 10/08/2014
Job Type: INTERNSHIP - Paid
Schedule Type: Internship

Practice Areas: Environmental, Legislative/Policy Issues

Job Description

Overview: Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a nonprofit public interest and environmental advocacy organization thataddresses the impacts of the industrial food production system on human health, animal welfare, and the environment,and promotes sustainable alternatives such as organic agriculture. CFS represents over 500,000 farmer and consumermembers nationwide. CFS works to achieve its goals through litigation, legislation, scientific reports, public education,grassroots campaigns, market pressure, and media outreach. CFS’s small legal team manages an active docket of impactlitigation and high-profile cases on issues related to genetic engineering, factory farms, aquaculture, food safety,pollinators and pesticides, soil and climate, and organics. Learn more at centerforfoodsafety.org.

Position Description: CFS is seeking motivated law clerks interested in doing meaningful litigation and policy work onbehalf of the public and the environment. Clerks’ responsibilities vary each semester but typically include performinglegal research, drafting pleadings, attending hearings, submitting comments and petitions to administrative agencies, and supporting attorneys in litigation. Clerks are also expected to do minor administrative tasks as needed. Law clerks work closely with attorneys and staff, and are able to gain practical litigation and policy experience in a small nonprofit setting.

Qualifications

Clerks must have completed at least one year of law school and be available to work in our San Francisco,CA or Portland, OR office full-time for 10 weeks. Demonstrated commitment to practicing public interest food and agriculture law is a plus. Relevant coursework in administrative and environmental law are preferred but not required.

Salary

Positions may be paid, but we strongly encourage students to seekoutside funding or school credit.

Application Instructions:

To Apply: Please email Cover Letter, Writing Sample, and References to: clerkships@centerforfoodsafety.org.

Please indicate your preferred location by stating “Summer 2015 Clerkship (San Francisco)” or “Summer 2015 Clerkship(Portland)” in the subject line.

Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.

C&S Wholesale Grocers: Associate Staff Attorney- Keene, NH

Associate Staff Attorney, Contracts and Compliance
C&S Wholesale Grocers - Keene, NH

Overview C&S Wholesale Grocers is the largest wholesale grocer/distributor in the nation. We supply independent supermarkets, chain stores and institutions with over 100,000 different products from more than 50 high-tech facilities in fifteen states. In addition, we provide third?party logistics solutions to large food manufacturers, operate three retail grocery stores, develop technologies for use in automated warehouses and license certain trademarks for use in the retail grocery business. Our total net sales in fiscal 2013 were approximately $22B, which ranks us among the largest privately-held companies in the United States. The Associate Staff Attorney, Compliance and Contracts will provide advice and general counsel for drafting, review and negotiation of contracts ranging from internal not for resale contracts, professional service agreements, warehouse and IT service agreements. Provide regulatory support, advice and counsel regarding Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government agencies' regulatory compliance requirements, principally focusing on the grocery industry. Responsibilities Review and negotiate contracts on behalf of the entire enterprise Understand government agencies' regulatory requirements, develop strategies, identify and obtain data and evidence required to support strategies, draft advice and opinions for clients and/or agency for the purposes of bringing identified product(s) into compliance Develop, promote and monitor the company's compliance with applicable laws and regulations Work extensively with all company departments in assessing risks, proposing process improvements, and conducting training respective to various contractual issues and compliance initiatives Conduct research, analyze data, draf and editi administrative and specialized documents, draft written correspondence with clients, colleagues, and government agencies Support the organization's compliance risk assessment program to assess, prioritize and manage legal and regulatory compliance risks relating to all operating units and collaborates with other internal and external subject matter experts Assist in handling a variety of legal matters ranging from ensuring compliance with state and federal laws to defending against claims in state and federal court Support the development of contractual, ethics, business conduct, compliance education and awareness programs throughout the operations Coordinate, compile, modify, and draft written responses to federal and local regulatory agencies Read, analyze, and interpret laws, regulations, and policy under FDA, OSHA , EPA and other federal and local regulatory agencies, articles in scientific, regulatory, and technical journals, and legal documents Communicate effectively, professionally, knowledgably, and in a timely manner both orally and in writing to managers, colleagues, clients and government agencies maintaining appropriate Company image Qualifications Juris Doctorate and State Bar Admission 0 – 3 years relevant experience in a law firm or in house environment Proficient in the MS Office Package Strong legal research, project management and interpersonal skills. Speaks clearly, active listener, persuasive. Possesses the ability to work independently, understand and write appropriate level material in the English language. Ability and desire to quickly learn new areas of the law and the business. Ability to make immediate decisions which have the potential for a fast paced environment. Large impact on the business where tight deadlines apply. Street smarts, thick skin and a demonstrated genuine interest in traditional labor law are essential elements of the position Working safely is a condition for employment with C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. An Affirmative Action Employer M/F/Disabled/Veteran. Apply Here.

Farm Commons: Communications Associate- Madison, WI

Farm Commons is hiring a Communications Associate!

A successful Communications Associate will achieve the following:

• Significantly expand the number of farmers accessing our resources and attending our webinars.
• Successfully coordinate communications and meetings for Farm Commons’ Attorney Network program pilot.
• Greatly increase awareness of Farm Commons within the farming and food system community.
• Leverage each point of contact with Farm Commons stakeholders through an integrated communications tracking system.
• Ensure Farm Commons written materials are of the highest quality in terms of readability, consistency, focus, and grammar.
• Raise Farm Commons’ profile in the sustainable agriculture and food systems community.
• Ensure integration of Farm Commons key messages across all communications outlets.
• Assist in the creation of effective farm law education resources.
• Increase fundraising success of the organization through individual giving and grant writing.

To achieve the above goals, the Communications Associate will do the following:

• Lead outreach and advertising of Farm Commons events and resources.
• Develop media for distribution through diverse channels including print, email, social media and earned media.
• Create website content including blog posts and client profiles.
• Schedule and facilitate Farm Commons Attorney Network program meetings.
• Manage communications with thousands of farmers who register and attend webinars.
• Edit written materials for style, grammar, and messaging
• Write educational materials, grant applications, and funding materials from outlines, notes, or drafts.
• Create and implement communications tracking system.

Depending upon the new team member’s skills, the individual may lead creative development of new educational materials on farm law for both farmers and attorneys. The selected candidate may write and deliver farm law workshops for farmers and farm educators. A selected candidate who is licensed to practice law may work under the executive director to provide legal representation to clients as needed or as time allows.   As a start up, duties are diverse and will evolve over time. The selected candidate will be expected to identify opportunity and use his or her unique strengths to define the position.

To effectively carry out tasks and meet goals, the Communications Associate should have the following qualities.

Required:

• Excellent ability to communicate efficiently and accurately while maintaining friendly, customer-focused attitude.
• Excellent writing ability in a wide variety of contexts from promotional brochures to detailed technical manuals.
• Experience creating and implementing communications/outreach strategies that incorporate both online and offline channels.
• Highly goal oriented – articulates goals, monitors progress towards reaching them, and adapts strategies to ensure goals are met.
• Very self-disciplined and able to work from home.
• Careful attention to detail.
• Comfortable working in an evolving start-up environment. Must be flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Passion for sustainable farming and food systems.
• Comfortable directly engaging (including over the phone) with individuals from very diverse geographic, political, and educational backgrounds.

Strongly preferred:

• Experience in sustainable farming and/or sustainable food systems development.
• Experience with web content management platforms such as wordpress or drupal.

Desirable:

• Educational training or experience as a paralegal or attorney
• Visual thinking or design skills

Knowledge of farm law is not a prerequisite of this position.

The Communications Associate reports directly to the founder and executive director of Farm Commons. Farm Commons does not have a physical location and the position will be served remotely with daily communication with the executive director online or over the phone. The selected candidate must have high-speed access to the internet. Individuals located throughout the United States may apply. Evening and weekend work plus occasional travel is required. The position is full-time and salaried. The team member’s exact work schedule is flexible; daytime hours will be necessary to effectively communicate with the executive director. This position will begin on approximately December 1, 2014. Compensation is in the $40,000 annual salary range. The Communications Associate will be eligible for personal time off and a modest benefits package. As with the majority of nonprofit and private sector jobs, continued employment is dependent on the continued generation of revenue. Farm Commons values an open workplace and we are happy to discuss our finances with top candidates.

This position offers tremendous opportunity to the right individual. We are a mission-driven organization and the new team member will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of sustainable farmers. Farm Commons has a strong track record for a young nonprofit and is posed to make a significant impact in the sustainable food and farming community. The selected candidate will work in the middle of the emerging world of sustainable agriculture law.

To apply, candidates must submit a single pdf file containing the following documents: a cover letter, a resume, three references, and two writing samples. Candidates with a legal background: Please note that the writing samples should demonstrate your ability to write for non-legal audiences, not attorneys or judges. If candidates wish for any limitation on Farm Commons’ ability to contact references, please state it in the cover letter. Paper applications will not be accepted. Please send the single pdf file toRachel@farmcommons.org. The application deadline is Monday, October 27th, 2014 at 5pm. Please apply early if possible. 

Cornucopia Institute: Farm and Food Policy Analyst

 Farm and Food Policy Analyst 

Organic Farming Champion 

The Cornucopia Institute is seeking an employee to join its team conducting research and investigations into organic and sustainable food and farming production practices. This individual will also be involved with networking and communicating with farmers, consumers, and other organizations. A heartfelt passion for protecting the environment, the good food movement, human health, humane livestock husbandry and social/economic justice for family farmers is essential. 

The Cornucopia Institute has become one of the most preeminent and aggressive organic and sustainable food and farming watchdogs. The organization acts as an organic industry watchdog protecting alternative marketing mechanisms for farmers and consumers to connect. We seek to defend the integrity of the organic food label from governmental regulatory indifference as well as from agribusinesses cutting corners so as to profiteer from unethical and questionable food and agricultural practices. 

Primary responsibilities for this position include: 

 Performing investigative projects under the direction of senior Cornucopia staff. 

 Reviewing published scientific reports and literature 

 Developing documents and reports on investigative projects. 

 Interacting with farmers, corporate officials, retailers, other NGOs and the media. 

 Providing materials for news releases and for posting on Cornucopia’s web page, in Cornucopia’s newsletter, The Cultivator, and with its social media outreach. 

 Attending relevant conferences and meetings (governmental, agricultural, trade shows, networking with other NGOs, etc.). 

The ideal candidate would also possess experience working in a corporate or nonprofit environment with a skill set including: 

 Strong understanding (with applicable professional/academic background) of agricultural policy, nutrition and organic food and farming issues. 

 Commitment to the mission of The Cornucopia Institute. 

 Self-starter and ability to work independently. 

 Strong oral and written communication skills. 

 Ability to interact effectively with volunteers, members, staff, media and the general public. 

 Superior work ethic and careful attention to detail. 

 Highest degree of personal and professional ethics. 

 Competency with the Microsoft Office suite. 

 Internet research of scientific/academic literature, social media and superior communication skills. 

Compensation: 

Commensurate with experience. 

Worksite: 

The Cornucopia Institute is formally based in Cornucopia, Wisconsin but is "virtually-officed," and thus has no central location. We have 10 core staff members and additional support from a number of additional part-time employees and dedicated contractors. 

The Farm and Food Policy Analyst is expected to provide his or her own worksite. Because of this, work with Cornucopia is possible anywhere in the U.S. Candidates residing in, or relocating to, the upper Midwest are encouraged to apply — facilitating periodic face-to-face meetings. But ultimate hiring decisions will be made based on the credentials of the candidates. 

Several core-staff and contractors are located in or near Vernon County, Wisconsin (thought to have more organic farmers than any other County in the nation). Candidates open to relocation might find this gorgeous and rugged environment, and its unique agrarian/arts community, a wonderful option. 

The Cornucopia Institute is an equal opportunity employer. 

How to contact The Cornucopia Institute: 

If you have an interest in exploring the opportunity to merge your background and skills with the chance to fight for something you believe in, please forward a letter of inquiry, including salary history/expectations, and resume to jobs@cornucopia.org. 

The Cornucopia Institute is engaged in educational activities supporting the ecological principles and economic wisdom underlying sustainable and organic agriculture. Through research and investigations on agricultural and food issues, The Cornucopia Institute provides needed information to family farmers, consumers, stakeholders involved in the good food movement, and the media. 

Director of Litigation: Center for Science in the Public Interest- Washington, D.C.

Director of Litigation

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Job Description

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a non-profit consumer-advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on nutrition and food safety. CSPI seeks a highly motivated and creative public-interest-oriented attorney who wants to protect the public by changing corporate behavior and influencing government policies. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced consumer class action attorney to lead the Litigation Project in one of the nation’s top consumer-advocacy organizations.
The LitigationProject uses state and federal courts to help correct corporate misbehavior. The project brings its own advocacy lawsuits, working with private lawyers across the country. CSPI’s legal filings have produced binding settlements resulting in more honest labeling of artificial ingredients and halting deceptive marketing.
This position requires at least 7 years of class action litigation experience related to Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices (UDAP) laws, product liability, mass torts, or related fields. Applicants should be knowledgeable about federal and state consumer protection laws (including UDAP laws). Successful candidates will have demonstrated experience in public policy, consumer advocacy, or public-interest law, perhaps through work with a state attorney general’s office, public-interest group, federal agency, or private law firm.
Please visit http://www.cspinet.org/about/jobs/201409241.html to view the full job description.
To apply, please send a cover letter indicating relevant experience and interest, résumé, state bar admissions, and writing samples to:hr@cspinet.org. Include “FDLI” in the subject line. 

Food & Drug Law Associate Attorney: Washington, D.C.

Associate - Food and Drug

Keller and Heckman LLP

Job Description

International law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., with an established administrative law practice has an immediate need for a qualified associate (3-5 years) to work in their Washington, D.C. Office to assist on food, food additive, food packaging, drug and device matters. Experience with FDA rulemaking and regulatory proceedings or those of other federal agencies (such as EPA, CPSC and FTC) strongly preferred. Strong academic credentials, excellent analytical, writing and interpersonal skills, and the ability to assume immediate responsibility are required. Ability to relate well with a variety of people is important. We offer an excellent benefit package and salary commensurate with experience.

Send resume, cover letter, transcript and writing sample to Jennifer Ireland, Human Resources and Recruitment Manager, Keller and Heckman LLP, 1001 G Street, NW, Suite 500 West, Washington, D.C.  20001 or to careers@khlaw.com. E.O.E

202-434-4100

ABA Article Notes Need for Rural Attorneys

The ABA Journal reports that In rural America, there are job opportunities and a need for lawyers. 
This interesting article that while urban areas may be over-lawyered, there are many opportunities for new lawyers in smaller towns and rural communities.

Nearly 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas, but the New York Times says just 2 percent of small law practices are in those areas. Those still practicing law in small towns are often nearing retirement age, without anyone to take over their practices. 

And without an attorney nearby, rural residents may have to drive 100 miles or more to take care of routine matters like child custody, estate planning and taxes. For people of limited means, a long drive is a logistical hardship, requiring gas, a day away from work and sometimes an overnight stay. And census information shows that rural communities are disproportionately poor. 

All this creates a "justice gap," with legal needs going unmet because potential clients can't find a lawyer, or they can't afford the lawyers they can find. . . .

Check out this article for stories about attorneys who have built or joined rural and small town practices and for reference to state programs that assist in convincing lawyers to leave the big city behind.

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/too_many_lawyers_not_here._in_rural_america_lawyers_are_few_and_far_between/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=navigation&utm_campaign=most_read