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Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farmed animal protection organization, seeks a lawyer for the newly created position of General Counsel.

Farm Sanctuary has two large farmed animal sanctuaries, one in upstate New York and one in northern California. In addition to the rescue and rehabilitation of abused and neglected farmed animals, it is involved in an extensive array of groundbreaking educational, legislative, litigation and other advocacy efforts.

General description: The position of General Counsel will oversee and address all legal questions and matters that arise at Farm Sanctuary, including the following areas:

• In-house not-for-profit, human resource, education, real estate, contract, liability, insurance and litigation legal matters;

• Animal sanctuary issues, including custody, adoption and liability concerns;

• Campaign legal issues, including with respect to legislative, ballot initiative, litigation, first amendment, and related matters;

• Monitoring issues and cases for potential legal action;

• Assisting in the development and management of litigation in state and federal courts, whether in-house, or through pro bono or retained attorneys;

• Communicating and negotiating with prosecutors, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations on a variety of legal issues.

This position provides the unique opportunity for a leading role in the farmed animal protection movement. The General Counsel will oversee the organization with respect to all legal matters and work closely with the Board of Directors, President and Executive Director of the organization on both management and strategic matters. He or she will also work with some of the nation's leading public interest organizations and private lawyers in relation to farmed animal legal matters. The General Counsel will report directly to the Executive Director, and the position will require some amount of time spent in Watkins Glen, New York, although living in Watkins Glen, New York, is not a job requirement.

Qualifications: J.D. and a preferred minimum of three (3) years legal experience. Candidates must have excellent writing, research and oral advocacy skills. While some background in animal protection is desired, we are primarily interested in someone who is independent, self-starting, resourceful, innovative, hard-working, productive, and who will be a strong and effective advocate for farmed animals as well as a conscientious guardian of the organization's compliance with any and all legal requirements. The position will require an ability to master legal issues in numerous areas, as well as the ability to understand all aspects of a large, diverse organization.

Compensation: A competitive salary commensurate with experience, and a competitive benefits package.

Contact: Please submit your resume, cover letter, and references to Jeff Lydon (jlydon@farmsanctuary.org), Executive Director, Farm Sanctuary, 3100 Aikens Road (use P.O. Box 150 for mail service), Watkins Glen, NY 14891. The position will be open until filled, and is available immediately.