Lawyer, Forest Governance

ClientEarth; Manila; On-site; PHP 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

ClientEarth seeks a Philippines-qualified lawyer to join our programme on Food, Ocean, and Land Use (FOLU) in Japan and Southeast Asia. You will advance forest governance work, with focus on social forestry and IPLC rights, through research, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

You will collaborate with government agencies, CSOs, and local communities to strengthen biodiversity protection and sustainable livelihoods while supporting advocacy at the regional level.

Qualifications

• Qualified Philippines lawyer with expertise in forest governance or natural resources.
• Fluency in Filipino and English required.
• Experience conducting legal research and analysis on government policy and IPLC rights.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth legal research and analysis on forest governance, IPLC rights, biodiversity protection, and watershed management.
• Support strategy development and country-level insights for ClientEarth in the Philippines.
• Engage with government agencies, CSOs, donors, and IPLCs to advance project objectives.

Skills

Legal research

Policy analysis

Education

Law degree (Philippines)

Bar admission

Job description

This is an excellent opportunity for a lawyer qualified in the Philippines with experience in forest governance to contribute to ClientEarth's new programme on Food, Ocean, and Land Use (FOLU) in Japan and Southeast Asia. The successful candidate will contribute to advancing our work on forest governance, particularly on social forestry, leveraging their expertise in community-based natural resources management and biodiversity protection in the Philippines. Through this work, we aim to reduce deforestation and forest degradation by increasing engagements between government, civil society organisations (CSOs) and Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) through research, legal and policy analysis, stakeholder engagement and capacity enhancement. We support IPLCs in achieving sustainable livelihoods, whilst protecting natural ecosystems and biodiversity. We also engage with the ASEAN at regional level to strengthen forest governance.
Important dates to note:

• Deadline to submit an initial application: 19th of October
• If your profile passes initial screening, you will be asked to submit additional information in the form of 3 additional questions.
• The deadline to submit your answers to these questions is 22nd of October
• If we do not receive a response to these questions by the deadline we will assume you are no longer interested in the role.
• Interviews will take place the week beginning 2nd November

Please also review the "Our Hiring Process" section at the bottom of this advert to learn more about the stages involved for this specific role.

Main duties

• Legal Research and Analysis: Conduct in-depth policy and legal research and analysis on forest governance, Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) rights, biodiversity conservation, and issues related to watershed management.
• Strategy Development: Work closely with the line manager to develop, plan and support implementation of ClientEarth's strategic priorities in the Philippines, including through country-level insights, risks and lessons learned, and ensuring alignment with regional and global strategies.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders in the Philippines, including government agencies, industry leaders, civil society organisations (CSOs), and donors.

See the job description (below) for a full list of duties for this role.

Role requirements

• Fluent (CEFR level C2) in Filipino and English
• Relevant legal professional qualification in the Philippines
• Working knowledge of community-based natural resources management, forest governance, IPLC rights, environmental protection, and related watershed management issues
• Experience developing legal research and analysis on the Philippines' forest and natural resources governance regulation
• Knowledge of formal and informal relationships and working practices in relation to policymakers, regulators, CSOs and networks, and traditional knowledge holders in the Philippines

See the job description (below) for a full list of requirements for this role.
Note to candidates: We know that long lists of criteria can be daunting and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you feel you meet at least some of the essential criteria, we still encourage you to apply.

Further Information

Have a question about this job? Please visit our Careers site for advice on applying, FAQs, and more.
Flexible working: We are proud to be a Flexa accredited Employer. Visit our Flexa Employer page for more information on our approach to flexible working. See our Benefits page for more as well as our flexible working FAQ.
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. See our equity, diversity and inclusion journey page for more.
Please note that ClientEarth is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in the countries listed at the top of this job advert.
ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.