- ClientEarth
- Brussels, Belgium (Remote)
- Contract staff
Lawyer
- ClientEarth
Brussels, Belgium
Contract staff
Published:
Application Deadline: August 4, 2025
- ClientEarth
Brussels, Belgium
Contract staff
Published:
Application Deadline: August 4, 2025
JOB PURPOSE:
This position is an excellent opportunity for a lawyer with commercial litigation experience and strong advocacy skills to make a key contribution to the work of our value chains, trade & investment (VCTI) team. The VCTI team is part of our broader Financial & Economic group in Europe. It works to strengthen and enforce supply chain laws requiring companies to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights, health and environmental impacts throughout their value chain, as well as report on and account for those impacts.
The primary focus of the role will be to support the VCTI team’s work on deforestation-free supply chains, including defending the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR) against potential amendment in Brussels and supporting its implementation in key Member States, and advancing alternative legal strategies towards supply chain accountability.
You will use your expertise to support and implement strategic legal interventions, including strategic litigation and advocacy with the objective of preventing products linked to deforestation entering the EU market and challenging unsustainable business practices linked to deforestation. Priority supply chains include beef, leather and soy supply chains originating in Latin America.
This is a parental leave cover position (nine months) and the successful candidate will be expected – after a sufficient handover – to take on and progress an existing portfolio of work under the supervision of the VCTI team Lead.
The successful candidate’s final title will be agreed prior to a formal offer, and will depend on their professional qualifications and the applicable regulated titled allowed to be used in the relevant jurisdiction.
THE FINANCIAL & ECONOMIC SYSTEM EUROPE:
The global economy and financial flows sit at the heart of the changes we need to see in the world. Fundamentally, the global market needs to be regulated and governed in a way that drives the transition away from harmful ‘business as usual’ practices and incentivises the emergence of socially-just and environmentally-responsible business models. The Financial & Economic (Europe) team is a group of lawyers with expertise across laws governing the financial system, companies, state aid, value chains, trade and investment. Within that group, the VCTI team uses the power of the law to strengthen and enforce supply chain laws that seek to minimise the negative environmental and human rights impacts worldwide of European consumption, trade and investment.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
The position will report to the Lead of VCTI, Michael Rice (based in Brussels). You will have key relationships with other lawyers in the VCTI team (comprising six members based in Brussels (3), Madrid (1) and Warsaw (1)) and within ClientEarth, as well as with external affairs and communications staff. You will also cooperate closely with external partners and external counsel.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
This position is an excellent opportunity for a lawyer with commercial litigation experience and strong advocacy skills to make a key contribution to the work of our value chains, trade & investment (VCTI) team. The VCTI team is part of our broader Financial & Economic group in Europe. It works to strengthen and enforce supply chain laws requiring companies to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights, health and environmental impacts throughout their value chain, as well as report on and account for those impacts.
The primary focus of the role will be to support the VCTI team’s work on deforestation-free supply chains, including defending the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR) against potential amendment in Brussels and supporting its implementation in key Member States, and advancing alternative legal strategies towards supply chain accountability.
You will use your expertise to support and implement strategic legal interventions, including strategic litigation and advocacy with the objective of preventing products linked to deforestation entering the EU market and challenging unsustainable business practices linked to deforestation. Priority supply chains include beef, leather and soy supply chains originating in Latin America.
This is a parental leave cover position (nine months) and the successful candidate will be expected – after a sufficient handover – to take on and progress an existing portfolio of work under the supervision of the VCTI team Lead.
MEET YOUR MANAGER:
Michael Rice joined CE in 2021, working on deforestation-free supply chains and new laws on that topic being developed in the UK and EU. He is an Australian-qualified lawyer with a background in Indigenous land rights and major extractive projects. He has worked in the NGO sector on environmental, climate and gender justice agendas for over eight years. He now leads our Value Chains, Trade and Investment team supporting a broad range of supply chain and value chain accountability efforts.
MAIN DUTIES:
See the job description (below) for a full list of duties for this role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Location: The position is based in ClientEarth’s Brussels office and may involve occasional travel within Europe, in line with our environmental policy.
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Education and training
Essential
Desirable
Relevant legal professional qualification (desirable), with qualification in an EU Member State (preferred).
Experience and knowledge
Essential
Desirable
This position offers a great opportunity to develop or enhance your skills and experience in this area. 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.
Key Competencies
Essential
Desirable
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.
WHAT WE OFFER:
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. Our flexible working policy allows our people the choice to decide to work from home/another location in the country where their contract of employment is issued for 80% of their month, with the other 20% of their month being office-based 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 Belgium. ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.
This position is an excellent opportunity for a lawyer with commercial litigation experience and strong advocacy skills to make a key contribution to the work of our value chains, trade & investment (VCTI) team. The VCTI team is part of our broader Financial & Economic group in Europe. It works to strengthen and enforce supply chain laws requiring companies to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights, health and environmental impacts throughout their value chain, as well as report on and account for those impacts.
The primary focus of the role will be to support the VCTI team’s work on deforestation-free supply chains, including defending the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR) against potential amendment in Brussels and supporting its implementation in key Member States, and advancing alternative legal strategies towards supply chain accountability.
You will use your expertise to support and implement strategic legal interventions, including strategic litigation and advocacy with the objective of preventing products linked to deforestation entering the EU market and challenging unsustainable business practices linked to deforestation. Priority supply chains include beef, leather and soy supply chains originating in Latin America.
This is a parental leave cover position (nine months) and the successful candidate will be expected – after a sufficient handover – to take on and progress an existing portfolio of work under the supervision of the VCTI team Lead.
The successful candidate’s final title will be agreed prior to a formal offer, and will depend on their professional qualifications and the applicable regulated titled allowed to be used in the relevant jurisdiction.
THE FINANCIAL & ECONOMIC SYSTEM EUROPE:
The global economy and financial flows sit at the heart of the changes we need to see in the world. Fundamentally, the global market needs to be regulated and governed in a way that drives the transition away from harmful ‘business as usual’ practices and incentivises the emergence of socially-just and environmentally-responsible business models. The Financial & Economic (Europe) team is a group of lawyers with expertise across laws governing the financial system, companies, state aid, value chains, trade and investment. Within that group, the VCTI team uses the power of the law to strengthen and enforce supply chain laws that seek to minimise the negative environmental and human rights impacts worldwide of European consumption, trade and investment.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
The position will report to the Lead of VCTI, Michael Rice (based in Brussels). You will have key relationships with other lawyers in the VCTI team (comprising six members based in Brussels (3), Madrid (1) and Warsaw (1)) and within ClientEarth, as well as with external affairs and communications staff. You will also cooperate closely with external partners and external counsel.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
This position is an excellent opportunity for a lawyer with commercial litigation experience and strong advocacy skills to make a key contribution to the work of our value chains, trade & investment (VCTI) team. The VCTI team is part of our broader Financial & Economic group in Europe. It works to strengthen and enforce supply chain laws requiring companies to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights, health and environmental impacts throughout their value chain, as well as report on and account for those impacts.
The primary focus of the role will be to support the VCTI team’s work on deforestation-free supply chains, including defending the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR) against potential amendment in Brussels and supporting its implementation in key Member States, and advancing alternative legal strategies towards supply chain accountability.
You will use your expertise to support and implement strategic legal interventions, including strategic litigation and advocacy with the objective of preventing products linked to deforestation entering the EU market and challenging unsustainable business practices linked to deforestation. Priority supply chains include beef, leather and soy supply chains originating in Latin America.
This is a parental leave cover position (nine months) and the successful candidate will be expected – after a sufficient handover – to take on and progress an existing portfolio of work under the supervision of the VCTI team Lead.
MEET YOUR MANAGER:
Michael Rice joined CE in 2021, working on deforestation-free supply chains and new laws on that topic being developed in the UK and EU. He is an Australian-qualified lawyer with a background in Indigenous land rights and major extractive projects. He has worked in the NGO sector on environmental, climate and gender justice agendas for over eight years. He now leads our Value Chains, Trade and Investment team supporting a broad range of supply chain and value chain accountability efforts.
MAIN DUTIES:
- Help shape and deliver strategies to ensure the EUDR is properly applied and enforced across EU countries;
- Work on legal cases and interventions, including preparing materials for court or regulatory bodies;
- Build strong relationships with partners and represent our work in meetings and public discussions.
See the job description (below) for a full list of duties for this role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Developing and maintaining a robust knowledge of the EUDR and the institutions and processes necessary for the effective implementation and enforcement of the EUDR and other legal frameworks including supply chain laws in France and Germany, and – to a lesser extent – the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and related EU Omnibus proposal that may be utilised for the protection of the environment and the restoration of nature;
- Contributing to the strategic direction of work to ensure that the EUDR is implemented across EU Member States and that mechanisms are put in place for effective enforcement in EU Member States and implementing the strategy in line with ClientEarth’s global and regional priorities and ClientEarth’s decision-making procedures;
- Contributing to the selection, development, and management of litigation and other legal interventions and managing cases, including providing high quality legal input e.g. for court and regulatory submissions and legal letters;
- Legal research, analysis and preparation of internal briefings on a range of civil, corporate and financial laws in the EU and focus countries including those related to sustainability, directors’ duties, corporate reporting, value chains and due diligence;
- Contributing to ongoing advocacy with relevant stakeholders at the EU and potentially national level, including politicians, government advisers, private sector actors and NGOs;
- Maintaining effective working relationships with key partners including other NGOs, lawyers, science and policy experts, journalists and politicians and representing ClientEarth’s thinking and analysis in external fora;
- Where required, support fundraising activities, including the development of applications and reports to funders;
- Work with the communications team to devise and execute communications strategies, for example, through social media or media interviews;
- Contribute consistently and meaningfully to the team’s monitoring, evaluation and learning activities to support a culture of continuous learning and innovation within ClientEarth.
Location: The position is based in ClientEarth’s Brussels office and may involve occasional travel within Europe, in line with our environmental policy.
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Education and training
Essential
- Law degree or equivalent.
Desirable
Relevant legal professional qualification (desirable), with qualification in an EU Member State (preferred).
Experience and knowledge
Essential
- Professional experience in a legal capacity (in an NGO, the public sector, private practice, or a relevant in-house role) with a focus on environmental, corporate or commercial law in the EU;
- Experience of advocacy with relevant stakeholders at EU institutions;
- Experience in building and maintaining networks and relationships with a wide variety of external stakeholders;
- A strong interest and understanding of the environmental justice movement, climate politics, human rights and social justice-related issues.
Desirable
- Experience in commercial litigation or supporting strategic litigation;
- Experience working in an international environment in a legal context;
- Experience in working in a civil society context.
This position offers a great opportunity to develop or enhance your skills and experience in this area. 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.
Key Competencies
Essential
- Fluent (CEFR level C2) in English;
- Excellent legal research, analysis, and writing skills;
- Confident dealing with and assimilating complex legal, scientific and technical arguments and facts;
- Excellent creative, critical and lateral thinking and analytical skills and ability to quickly grasp new concepts and areas of law;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills to give authoritative advice and influence to external audiences, to adapt language, content and style to make communications relevant to industry, policy-makers, funders and press;
- Openness to learning new areas of work;
- Ability to work both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative manner within a multidisciplinary, multi-lingual and multicultural environment;
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to set priorities and manage multiple tasks and react positively in light of shifting and competing timelines;
- Comfortable with remote or matrix management and working in a global organisation;
- Strong alignment with ClientEarth’s values and commitment to our vision, and mission and equity, diversity and inclusion strategy objectives.
Desirable
- Fluent (CEFR level C2) in at least one other European language;
- The ability to develop innovative ideas.
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.
WHAT WE OFFER:
- Salary: Brussels €5.036,82 gross per month;
- Contract Type: Fixed Term;
- Contract Duration: 9 months;
- Hours: Full Time or Part Time;
- Hours Details: Full time preferred, but would consider someone working 80% of the time;
- Closing Date: 4 August 2025;
- First Interview Dates: Starting from the 13th of August.
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. Our flexible working policy allows our people the choice to decide to work from home/another location in the country where their contract of employment is issued for 80% of their month, with the other 20% of their month being office-based 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 Belgium. ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.
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