ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY - CERCLA Litigation & Environmental Practice Support

Kaplan Kirsch LLP; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 172,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

HSA

FSA

STD

LTD

Group term life insurance

401(k)

Flexible PTO

Parental leave

Subsidized public transportation

Job summary

Kaplan Kirsch LLP is seeking an environmental associate to support CERCLA litigation and related environmental matters, joining a unique, collaborative boutique practice with a public/private project focus.

You will work with partners and clients from day one, handling a range of matters across energy, land use, and tribal law while developing valuable skills and leadership in a fast-paced team environment.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of relevant litigation and/or environmental law experience.
• Strong research, writing, analytical and advocacy skills.
• Able to work independently and in teams with partners and clients.
• Adaptable in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with multiple matters and deadlines.
• Law degree from an accredited law school and admission to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction (California preferred).

Responsibilities

• Support CERCLA litigation matters and related environmental work.
• Collaborate with environmental and litigation teams across the Firm’s practice areas.
• Work directly with partners and clients to move matters forward and build experience.

Skills

Environmental litigation

Legal research

Legal writing

Advocacy

Teamwork

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent

Job description

We are looking for a highly motivated, creative, and collaborative attorney to join our unique law firm as an environmental associate supporting ongoing CERCLA litigation matters and, as needs and opportunities arise, other areas of the Firm. We are not like other private law firms. A majority of our clients are states, local governments, Native American tribes, airports, transit agencies, and non-profit organizations. Operating outside the “Big Law” model, our collegial and collaborative firm enables our Associate Attorneys to gain momentum in their careers and further their professional development through meaningful involvement on public and private projects that benefit communities across the United States.?

In this role, you will: Be a key member of our environmental and litigation teams, with a near-term focus on CERCLA litigation matters. You may also support litigation matters arising from other areas of the Firm’s practice, including energy, transportation, airport, transit, land use, and Native American work, and your primary focus in this role will be working on non-litigation matters involving environmental, regulatory, and administrative law issues across the Firm’s practice areas, as need requires and opportunity allows. Working directly with partners and clients, you will be uniquely positioned to have a significant impact from day one while building valuable experience for the long term.

Requirements

You will excel in this role by:

• Having 3 to 5 years of relevant litigation and/or environmental law experience, including experience with federal or state environmental, regulatory, or administrative laws. Judicial clerkship experience counts.
• Demonstrating exceptional legal research, writing, analytical, and advocacy skills.
• Working comfortably independently as well as in a team setting, including directly with partners and clients.
• Adapting quickly in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment, including by managing multiple matters and deadlines and proactively moving assignments forward.
• Taking ownership of your work by being action-oriented, anticipating next steps, flagging issues early, keeping partners and clients informed, and seeking opportunities for personal professional improvement.
• Having achieved a law degree from an accredited law school, where you demonstrated academic excellence and leadership.
• Being admitted to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction (admission in California preferred; willingness to become admitted in California also considered).

You will stand out from other candidates if you have:

• Experience with CERCLA or related environmental litigation, including discovery, court hearings, and trials.
• Experience working with complex statutory and/or regulatory schemes.
• Concrete litigation experience, such as drafting pleadings and motions; managing document discovery; preparing for, taking, or defending depositions; and handling expert witnesses.
• Interest in a broad practice and willingness to work on regulatory and administrative law matters beyond environmental litigation.

Why consider us?

We are a fast-growing national boutique law firm devoted exclusively to helping public and private clients solve problems involving the nation’s most complex and high-profile projects in environmental, energy, land use, conservation, infrastructure, project financing, airport, rail, transit, and tribal law. Our litigators practice at the highest levels, including handling high-stakes trials, appeals, cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and before administrative tribunals. Associates will work closely with our seasoned lawyers—many of whom have served at the highest levels of government and the nonprofit world—and gain hands‑on experience quickly. Our firm prides itself on complex and collaborative work that does not always fit neatly within traditional practice group boundaries, and associates will regularly work with colleagues across multiple practices and sectors within the Firm.

Many of our practice groups, partners, and associates have been recognized by leading legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers, and Law360, reflecting our Firm’s outsized achievements and national recognition. The work we do is rewarding, and we are tremendously proud of the superior client service our team is able to provide.

We focus on our colleagues as well as our clients. We believe that professional life can be more enjoyable and rewarding when you work with a great team, know that your contributions make a difference, and foster fulfilling careers without compromising personal responsibilities and interests.

We are also proud to be recognized for creating opportunities for our associates to learn and grow. We believe in maintaining a clear, supportive path toward partnership, and our collective mentoring approach has resulted in a significant number of internal promotions.

Position details:

This is a full-time position to be located in Denver or San Francisco. We have an annual expectation of 1,600 billable hours for our associates, which includes an unlimited amount of approved pro bono hours. The salary range is $172,000-$190,000, commensurate with experience.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• HSA
• FSA
• STD
• LTD
• group term life insurance
• 401(k)
• flexible PTO
• parental leave
• The Firm will also subsidize certain public transportation costs.

The Firm is actively committed to fostering the principles of diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunity. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity, disability, marital status, military status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing [e-mail]