Attorney
Squaxin Island Tribe
Job Description
Natural Resources Emphasis
Job Title: Attorney
Department: Legal Department
Reports To: Director of the Legal Department
FLSA Status: Exempt
TS Range: 15/ES-1 DOQ ($67.43 hourly)
Opening Date: May 16, 2022
Closing Date: May 31, 2022
SUMMARY: The primary focus of this position will be on natural resource matters. The Department’s need is for an attorney well-experienced in natural resource matters and Indian law. While the emphasis will be on natural resource matters, the work will include all matters presented to the Department. The attorneys share assignments and interact often.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide legal services to the Tribal government, its various departments, commissions and committees, and to its numerous enterprises. The successful candidate will be employed as an in-house staff attorney supervised by another attorney and provided a range of topics, except that the successful candidate’s focus will be on natural resource-related matters.
- Under the general direction of the Department Director, and in close association with the Natural Resources’ Department Director, the Attorney will represent the Tribe in natural resource matters, including securing and implementing treaty rights to fish, shellfish, hunt and gather; water rights; and protecting natural resources.
- Responsibilities include cooperative and productive interactions with tribal officials and staff, officials and staff of federal, state, local, and other tribal governments. There will also be interactions with attorneys and others representing non-governmental interests.
- The position will require experience and detailed familiarity with federal agencies with natural resource related mandates, including the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA Fisheries, and state agencies, including the Washington Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
- Responsibilities include providing guidance as to strategy and tone in interactions related to natural resource matters, including state, federal, other tribal, and local governments, and non-governmental interests.
- The position will require detailed familiarity with such laws as the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and their Washington state counterparts, including, for example the Shoreline Management Act.
- The position will require detailed familiarity with laws related to aquatics, land use, fisheries, conservation and permitting, including NPDES.
- Responsibilities of the position may include representing the Tribe in federal, state, or tribal judicial proceedings, or in administrative hearings or appeals.
- With respect to water rights, the Attorney will work on protecting and restoring streamflows before state and federal agencies and courts for the purpose of securing and protecting the Tribe’s water rights.
- Responsibilities include working directly and indirectly on settlement negotiations concerning the Tribe’s natural resource interests, including the implementation of successful settlements and memoranda of understanding, and to facilitate collaboration and cooperation with state, local and tribal governments, and with private entities.
- The Attorney works closely with legal and technical staff within the Natural Resources Department, and other programs within the Tribe, contract counsel, and with consultants retained to provide technical support or to serve as expert witnesses.
- The Attorney provides legal work, legal research, and prepares legal memoranda, briefs, pleadings and other documents necessary for litigation and settlement purposes and to effectuate implementation of settlements. Work will include drafting, reviewing, analyzing and interpreting judicial decisions, legislation, contracts, leases, permits and other related documents. Work will include providing strategy, messaging and advice on policy changes advanced by the Tribe.
- Attorney will provide updates, guidance and advice to client, including but not limited to, the Department Director, the Tribal Council, and its committees and commissions, to ensure that the natural resource interests of the Tribe are effectively pursued and protected.
- Litigation experience preferred but not required.
- Other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: There are no supervisory responsibilities with this position.
QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform the responsibilities described in the Summary.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Graduated from an accredited law school.
- Licensed to practice and practicing in Washington with eight years relevant experience in the natural resource arena.
- Previously engaged by a tribal government or Washington state agency in the natural resource arena providing advice and strategy.
- Have a thorough knowledge of state and federal environmental law and land use.
- Have a working knowledge of federal Indian law principles and their interplay with state law.
- Have training and experience in mediation.
- Demonstrate good interpersonal communication skills.
- Demonstrate strong writing skills.
- Demonstrate ability to work collegially, a commitment to the tribal community, and a strong ethical character.
Candidate will be evaluated based on skills, experience, temperament and collegiality.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: Flexible office arrangements and remote work will be considered. The work environment is an office environment and it characteristics are those that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate (i.e. business office with computers and printers, and light traffic).
DRUG FREE WORKPLACE: The successful candidate will be required to have a urinalysis for drug and alcohol screening in accordance with the Tribe’s Drug Free Workplace Policy.
INDIAN PREFERENCE: Indian Preference will be exercised in the hiring of this position in accordance with the Tribe’s Personnel Policies.
APPLICATION: Submit the following: Application for Employment (you may request this application via email); cover letter including salary requirements, along with: current résumé and the names of at least three professional references, together with a writing sample.
TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter, résumé and application to apply@squaxin.us. You are welcome to pick up an application at the Squaxin Island Tribal Center 10 SE Squaxin Lane Shelton, WA 98584 Applications are available on our website at squaxinisland.org/employment.