The Humane League (THL) is a global nonprofit ending the abuse of animals raised for food. THL fosters a high-energy culture of teamwork and mission-driven problem solving, and we have earned recognition as Top Charity from Animal Charity Evaluators for all of their rating periods. Over the past few years, we’ve grown to a staff of 100+ talented individuals dispersed across the country and around the world. At THL, how animals are treated in the food system is at the forefront of our everyday work. As such, many of our staff are vegan by personal choice, and all of our THL-hosted events offer fully vegan menus. We welcome all mission-aligned candidates to apply, no matter where you are in your journey to end the abuse of animals raised for food.
We are looking for an experienced attorney to advise internal stakeholders on various legal risks and rights, to assume accountability for a number of legal practice areas within the organization, and to support the Legal department in ensuring THL’s legal compliance as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in all aspects of its operations.
As Senior Associate Counsel, you play an integral role in identifying and minimizing risks to the organization in order to ensure its continued operation as an effective advocate for animals raised for food around the world. We want you because you have a mission- and values-centric approach to your work, and you are excited to advise and support The Humane League’s aggressive corporate campaigns. You are ideal for this position because you have stellar legal research skills and significant experience providing advice and counsel on a variety of legal matters, and you are willing to offer creative solutions in nuanced situations. You bring exceptional analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with careful attention to detail, and you are able to deftly manage multiple priorities with contending deadlines. This position reports directly to the General Counsel.
This is a full-time, remote position based in the U.S, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, UK, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, or Peru. This position may require domestic and international travel, equivalent to 1 or more trips per year.
Provide expert legal advice and support to internal stakeholders and teams within THL’s U.S. and Global Programs departments, including the Campaigns and Organizing teams. This includes:
Serving as the primary lead on review of strategies, tactics, and communications materials related to public awareness and advocacy campaigns, as requested; and
Supporting and reviewing contracts related to the planning of fundraising and community building events
Collaborate with internal stakeholders to negotiate, draft, and review contracts under the supervision of the General Counsel.
Advise on legal issues related to 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) tax status and compliance.
Conduct in-depth legal research and prepare memoranda on various legal issues, including, but not limited to, tax-exempt, tort, and tax law, as requested.
Serve as the Legal department’s liaison to the IT team, supporting the development and drafting of various policies, including policies on AI use. Lead assessments and evaluations of the legal risks associated with third-party and proprietary software tools, platforms, and services.
Manage the organization’s intellectual property portfolio.
Collaborate with the Operations department to manage and support charitable and corporate registrations as needed.
Assist with organizational compliance, governance, employment, human resources, and development issues, and other legal matters the organization encounters, as requested by the General Counsel.
Assist on an as-needed basis with litigation.
Support in evaluating and streamlining internal legal processes and workflows to improve efficiency and ensure compliance with industry regulations and best practices.
Serve as a business partner to the organization, particularly with regard to programs, communications, and fundraising events.
Support the management of relationships with external vendors and service providers who work with the Legal department, ensuring that contracts are negotiated effectively and services are delivered in line with organizational requirements.
Provide mentorship, guidance, and support to junior legal staff, fostering their professional development within the Legal department.
In addition to the above essential job duties, other duties may be assigned as business needs arise. These may include non-essential, marginal job duties.
Education and Experience: Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school. Member in good standing of the bar with license to practice law in at least one US jurisdiction. 10+ years of broad-based experience practicing law. Comprehensive understanding of defamation, First Amendment, intellectual property, and privacy law. Skilled at legal research, with the ability to analyze legal data and information in order to inform strategic decision making and compliance efforts within the organization.
Leadership, Collaboration, and Interpersonal Skills: Cultivates a supportive and inclusive work environment, fostering a culture of respect and fairness. Ability to build trust, manage interpersonal dynamics, and resolve conflicts effectively. Leads and coordinates collaborative efforts, leveraging team members’ strengths and ensuring alignment with broader strategic priorities.
Verbal and Written Communication: Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly and effectively across verbal and written formats, adapting tone and style to different audiences. Crafts detailed project updates and strategic documents, facilitates communication channels, and delivers engaging and informative presentations.
Problem Solving and Decision Making: Leads problem solving efforts, developing strategies to address multifaceted issues. Oversees the evaluation of options and potential outcomes, applying deep expertise to guide complex decisions. Manages crisis situations and leads the development and execution of crisis response strategies.
Organization: Excellent time management and organizational skills, with a high level of attention to detail and the ability to successfully manage multiple priorities. Develops project schedules, allocates resources, and ensures that milestones and deadlines are met. Manages and optimizes internal systems and processes, developing and enforcing best practices for usage within the team.
Initiative, Proactivity, and Adaptability: Navigates complex changes with resilience, adapting readily and guiding others through transitions. Drives team initiatives and actively seeks out innovative solutions to address challenges.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically and provide guidance on long-term legal and organizational objectives. Develops and executes strategic initiatives, anticipating potential obstacles and aligning team efforts with long-term goals. Manages the implementation and operationalization of policies, providing expert guidance and ensuring adherence to organizational standards.
Global Perspective: Approaches work with a comprehensive understanding of the global nature of the organization’s programs. Integrates global considerations into legal advice and policies, ensuring that global issues are addressed effectively.
Financial Acumen: Ability to provide guidance on budget development, monitor financial performance, and identify opportunities for cost savings.
This role will remain open until filled, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We may close the role once we begin advancing candidates through the hiring process. New candidates are welcome to apply as long as this job opening is listed on our website. If you are experiencing technical issues, please contact careers@thehumaneleague.org. Please submit applications and all supporting documents in English. All application questions and materials need to be submitted here through the application submission form; we do not accept applications through our careers email.
Hiring Timeline
Once your application has been reviewed, you will be notified via email with further details on the status of your application. If a candidate is moved forward, the interview process will be as follows:
Work Simulation Exercise (completed remotely)
Interview (via video call)
Second Interview (via video call)
Each stage is expected to last a week or two on average. For full details of our full-time position recruitment process, please review this document (this will vary for temporary roles; please see the above bullet points for this role's specific stages).
Compensation and Benefits
The annual compensation range for this role is:
$105,621 - $116,586 for candidates based in the United States
1,025,871Kč - 1,253,842Kč for candidates based in Czechia
£54,358 - £59,793 for candidates based in the UK
R$123,000 - R$147,600 for candidats based in Brazil
$122,434,520 - $146,921,424 for candidates based in Colombia
Compensation ranges for candidates based in other locations will be determined prior to extending an offer.
At The Humane League, we believe in maintaining a fair and nondiscriminatory work environment for all employees. As part of this commitment, we have implemented a job architecture framework, which levels all of our roles according to size and complexity, as well as a compensation step system, which allows us to account for an individual's total years of related experience when determining their compensation. In addition, we have adopted a no negotiation policy for salaries. To determine a job's level, we carefully consider a variety of factors, including a job's size and complexity, required experience, knowledge, and/or skills, internal comparability, and market data. To determine final compensation, experience will be measured by considering prior work in jobs or activities that are related to the role at THL. Candidates whose experience places them at step 5 or above of their job level within our compensation structure will be awarded a "Senior" title designation. These practices are aligned with our organizational values and help us ensure we maintain clear, consistent, and transparent HR processes.
Employees enjoy full medical coverage, optional dental and vision packages, paid sick leave, a 401(k) retirement plan with matching, pet care & Rx discount plans, working from home, up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees, wellness benefits, paid holidays, flexible vacation time, professional development, and the supportive environment at The Humane League!
Equal Employment Opportunity
THL is an equal opportunity employer. THL does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected classifications, including but not limited to race, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, physical or mental disability, marital or familial status, legally protected medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. THL is committed to the importance of non-discriminatory practices within the nonprofit sector, as well as all workplace environments, and strongly encourages all interested candidates to apply.
Reasonable Accommodations
The Humane League is committed to fully supporting all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, THL provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws throughout the hiring process and employment if hired. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the People team at accommodations@thehumaneleague.org to initiate the interactive process. THL complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and all other applicable state and local laws.
AI Policy
Original work and thought are essential in the hiring process and allow us to evaluate you based on your own skills and competency. Therefore, the use of artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, Gemini, Rytr, Google Assistant, etc) to generate responses is strictly prohibited. By submitting this application you agree to comply with our AI Policy. Violations of this policy in any part of the recruitment process will result in being dismissed from consideration. If you need a reasonable accommodation to this policy, please see above for more information.
Communications From Greenhouse During Hiring Process
We have occasionally had issues with emails from Greenhouse being captured by spam filters and going to the spam folder. Because we utilize Greenhouse for all notifications regarding your application, please double check your spam folder in case important communications have been routed there.