The Center for Law, Energy & the Environment is seeking to hire a Research Fellow focused on Climate Law & Policy.

The Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE) is based at the UC Berkeley School of Law, which benefits from one of the leading environmental law programs in the nation. Building on UC Berkeley’s history of and commitment to research and public service, CLEE leverages the intellectual resources of Berkeley Law faculty and students in furtherance of applied scholarship in a variety of environmental and energy law and policy areas. CLEE’s research priorities include combatting climate change, advancing sustainable energy, addressing water allocation and management challenges, and developing solutions to other pressing environmental law and policy challenges.

The fellow will work with CLEE on climate change law and policy issues in California and beyond. The focus will be on implementation of California’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but projects may also cover multi-state and international topics. Specific research areas will depend on the fellow’s background and interests, but will likely include: renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric vehicle deployment, energy storage, low-carbon transit, and sustainable real estate development. The fellow will collaborate with project partners at other academic institutions, in state government, from the business and nonprofit communities, and other stakeholders. The fellow must be willing to travel occasionally within California and sometimes out of state.

For more information on CLEE, see clee.berkeley.edu.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Fellow’s primary responsibilities include:

Conducting research on climate policy in California and beyond, under the direction and in collaboration with Berkeley Law faculty, staff, and students and colleagues at other institutions;

Drafting white papers, social media posts, op-eds, and reports for policy-focused audiences, under the direction of faculty and staff;

Assisting Center faculty and staff with select grant-writing efforts;

Assisting Center faculty and staff in organizing and running meetings, workshops, and other convenings with California climate policy leaders, policymakers, and academics;

Speaking at events to business, policy-making, and academic communities, and on an ad hoc basis to the media about research initiatives;

Assisting with other aspects of workshop, research, and report production as assigned;

and

Assisting with other miscellaneous program tasks.

Minimum Qualifications Required (at time of application):

Candidate must hold a JD degree or equivalent degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

At least 3 years of experience in a law- or policy-focused environment;

Excellent research, analytical, and writing skills;

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, listen actively, interact with a variety of audiences, and share knowledge and information effectively;

Excellent organizational skills;

Self-starter able to prioritize and function both independently and collaboratively;

Demonstrated ability to finish projects and deliver on commitments;

Willingness to plunge into unfamiliar disciplines;

Willingness to take risks by exploring and testing new ideas;

Background in energy and land use law, economics, and/or finance is desirable;

Experience and knowledge at the intersection of law, science, business, and policy and the ability to work with people from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and policy perspectives; and

A passion for making the world better.