A Simple Task To Help You Do More Climate Work

Jun 03, 2024

I need your help.

I had a hard time as a young lawyer.

(If this is your first time here, my name is Matthew Karmel. While I am now the head of a cutting edge climate-focused practice group at a full-service AMLaw 200 law firm, I started my career as an associate with a single pro bono climate client.)

The challenges I faced early in my career were not earth shattering, but something I think you will understand.

I felt like I wasn't making a difference.

I felt trapped by billable hours and the demands of difficult colleagues.

I felt lost and disconnected from the natural world I love so much.

So, as I started to learn how to grow my practice doing climate friendly work that made me feel good and gave me more control over my career, I started the planetary lawyer project to share my learnings with you.

I created something that would have helped me earlier in my career.

I created something that would have helped me do more climate friendly work without as much....difficulty.

I created something that would have let me know I was not alone.

And you are here, which means it helps you in some way too.

But as more and more of you join me here, I am not so full of hubris as to think that I speak for all of you or know exactly what you need.

You come from different walks of life and are at different places in your career.

So, I have a simply task for you.

If I am going to keep sharing things that help you, I need to know more about you and what you need.

I've created a brief survey to help me do just that.

It just takes a few minutes.

Please fill it out right now by clicking here.

Together, we’ve built a community of more than 1,000 lawyers, and we can do so much more.

I promise to keep helping you do more climate friendly work, whatever that looks like.

But I need your help…

Hi! I’m Matthew Karmel, founder of the planetary lawyer project and Chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Law Group at Offit Kurman. (Any views expressed are my own. Nothing here is legal advice.)

I started my career as an associate with a single pro bono climate client and am now the head of a cutting edge climate-focused practice group at a full-service AMLaw 200 law firm.

I started this newsletter to help you build your own climate-friendly legal career by sharing hard-won lessons from my own career, short interviews with other climate-focused lawyers, legal developments, and relevant job opportunities.

Insights and Sponsors

Look no further for insights on all things climate, as well as resources from our sponsors! If you would like to discuss sponsorship, just reply to this email.

Now onto this week’s opportunities.

Have a lead on a job opening? Share it here.

Private Practice

Lateral Hub powers this week's private practice opportunities! Lateral Hub is the online lateral job board for where top-tier large, midsize, and boutique law firms publish openings so you can browse and apply directly - it's free to use, no account required.

You can even get SMS job alerts from Lateral Hub tailored to your practice area and location.

Associate, Public Finance - Energy/Infrastructure. Orrick. New York, NY. https://lateralhub.com/job/116-0033/. Orrick’s Public Finance Group is seeking an associate with 2-5 years of experience to join its New York office. The expected salary range for this position is between $235,000 and $365,000. Must be a member of the Bar in a U.S. State and satisfy any requirements of the Orrick office’s jurisdiction.

Associate, Tax Energy & Infrastructure. Multiple Offices/Remote. https://lateralhub.com/job/116-0040/ Orrick’s Energy & Infrastructure Tax practice is seeking a Junior Associate/ Midlevel Associate with 2 to 5 years of transactional tax experience who desires to join our dynamic and innovative team. The expected salary range for this position is between $225,000 and $345,000. While we are focused on finding an associate that would be located in Washington, DC, New York, Houston and San Francisco, we are open to other locations including candidates who desire to work remotely) on a case-by-case basis.

Associate, Tax Energy & Infrastructure. Latham & Watkins. New York, NY or Washington, D.C. https://lateralhub.com/job/143-0038/ At least 3 years of relevant experience. Salary range starts at $260,000. Candidate should have experience with renewable energy tax credits, including financings and M&A pertaining to wind energy, solar energy projects, carbon capture and sequestration, and other major energy transition projects.

In-House

Corporate Counsel - Transactional. Reactivate. Remote. https://www.reactivate.com/careers?gh_jid=4371331006. No minimum salary or experience is listed. Reactivate is a mission-driven renewable energy company bringing together complementary impact investment and sustainable energy expertise to support renewable energy projects, create job opportunities, bring energy cost savings to underserved communities, and advance opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses.

Staff Counsel Senior/II/I - Nuclear. Energy NorthWest. Richland, WA. https://energynorthwest.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Staff-Counsel-Senior-II-I_REQ24_92. Level I: 2 years experience; Level II: f5 years; Senior Level seven years. Senior Level Salary: $143,226 - $214,838 Midpoint: $179,032; Level II Salary: $124,510 - $186,764 Midpoint: $155,637; Level I Salary: $108,279 - $162,419 Midpoint: $135,349. As a regional leader in clean energy generation and public power solutions, Energy Northwest develops, owns and operates a diverse mix of electricity.

Legal Counsel. LG Energy Solution. Troy, MI. https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=cdd81bde-c04d-4821-8470-4bfe169d4493&ccId=9200053998108_2&type=JS&lang=en_US&jobId=531640. At least 3+ years of Legal experience. LG Energy Solution (LGES) is a global leader of lithium-ion polymer batteries and packs for electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage applications.

Counsel, IP. Zoox. Foster City, CA. https://zoox.com/careers/f644c584-5153-465a-a9c9-62f17b723dbb. $176,000 to $221,000. 5+ years of relevant experience. Zoox, Inc. is a subsidiary of Amazon developing autonomous vehicles focused on creating cleaner AVs.

Senior Associate, Policy. The Ad Hoc Group. Hybrid, with preference given to candidates in hub cities – Washington, D.C., Chicago, IL, San Francisco, CA, and New York City, NY. https://www.theadhocgroup.com/careers/senior-associate-policy/. $115,000 to $160,000, commensurate with experience (starting pay for this role is typically between $115,000 and $135,000). 5+ years of relevant experience. The Ad Hoc Group is a consulting firm that helps early and late-stage startups translate policy and regulatory insight into business returns, design and execute go-to-market strategies, and source and close deals.

Senior Associate, Advanced Technologies. The Ad Hoc Group. Hybrid, with preference given to candidates in hub cities – Washington, D.C., Chicago, IL, San Francisco, CA, and New York City, NY. https://www.theadhocgroup.com/careers/senior-associate-advanced-technologies/. $115,000 to $160,000, commensurate with experience (starting pay for this role is typically between $115,000 and $135,000). 5+ years of relevant experience. The Ad Hoc Group is a consulting firm that helps early and late-stage startups translate policy and regulatory insight into business returns, design and execute go-to-market strategies, and source and close deals.

Legal Counsel. EDF Renewables. United States - any city. https://careers-edf-re.icims.com/jobs/4180/legal-counsel/job. $165,000-200,000. 5+ years of relevant experience. EDF Renewables specializes in renewable energy production, specifically developing and financing the construction of renewable energy facilities, as well as managing operations and maintenance for its own account and for third parties. **We know this company and are happy to make an introduction. Just reply to this email!

Corporate Counsel. Cypress Creek Renewables. Open to Location. https://ccrenew.com/careers/?gh_jid=5886125. 5 years of experience with a law firm or in-house legal department. Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR) is a leading renewables IPP.

Senior Corporate Counsel. Redwood Materials. McCarran, NV. https://boards.greenhouse.io/redwoodmaterials/jobs/5174418004?gh_jid=5174418004. A minimum of 6 years of legal practice experience, preferably with in-house exposure. Redwood Materials was founded in 2017 to create a circular supply chain for electric vehicles and clean energy products, making them more sustainable and driving down the cost for batteries.

Staff Patent Agent. Air Protein. Remote. https://jobs.lever.co/airprotein/0ba6ac67-f971-41d3-83e9-109584713372. 7+ years of experience as a registered patent agent; $153,000 - $213,000 a year. Air Protein is a modern food company, crafting air-based food ingredients to feed us more sustainably.

Sr. Director - Counsel - Health, Safety, & Environmental. Lilly. Indiana. https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/job/R-65744/Sr-Director-Counsel-Health-Safety-Environmental. 7 or more years of experience as an attorney counseling in environmental, health and safety matters; $168,000 – $246,400. At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world.

Government and Non-Profit

General Law Attorney. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Golden, CO. https://nrel.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NREL/details/General-Law-Attorney_R12582?q=attorney. $95,500 - $171,900. 2+ years of relevant experience. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the US specializes in the research and development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy systems integration, and sustainable transportation.

Associate General Counsel. World Wildlife Fund. Washington, D.C. https://careers-wwfus.icims.com/jobs/3738/associate-general-counsel/job. No minimum salary listed, looking for 4+ years of relevant experience. The World Wildlife Fund is a non-governmental organization that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment.

Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs. Alliance for Transportation Electrification. Remote (with modest travel expectations). https://evtransportationalliance.org/news/now-hiring-at-ate/. $150,000 - $170,000. 5+ years of relevant experience. The Alliance for Transportation Electrification is a national 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization focused on accelerating the pace of clean transportation at the state level.

Would you like to see the trends from 517 climate law jobs shared in this newsletter through the end of 2023?

You’ll learn how much experience you actually need, what types of jobs are available, and more!

To see the surprising results, refer this newsletter to at least one other person, and we’ll send you the PDF when they subscribe!