Week of 7/29 - Niches are OUT, Passions are IN
Climate lawyers should stop trying to find a “niche.”
I know, that goes against my own advice, but hear me out.
What even is a niche?
The term feels antiquated and impersonal.
How are you supposed to find your niche if you can’t connect with the concept?
So, what if instead we thought about pursuing our PASSIONS.
Because trust me, when you follow your passions and infuse them into everything you do, you will naturally gravitate towards specific areas of climate law that light you up, and walking through the world lit up will attract all kinds of attention and opportunities to you.
The climate space is full of passionate people and they want to work with other passionate people.
Plus, working on things that you are passionate about is its own reward, so as you build your practice it will feel like less of a slog.
I know I talk too much about food waste, but, again, hear me out.
I love food and the only thing better than eating food is returning those nutrients into the environment.
So I’ve worked with lots of cool food waste recycling companies.
I talked with one company recently, and just geeked out about everything they were doing.
Because of my verve for the company and its concept, they reached out when they needed legal assistance.
This has happened to me time and again.
It doesn’t matter that I’m obsessed with a really specialized area.
All that matters is that I’m passionate.
And I can be passionate about a lot of different things.
So don’t worry about your niche, follow your passions and you’ll be fine.
What are you passionate about? Reply to let us know!
Hi! I’m Matthew Karmel, chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Law Group at Offit Kurman, P.A. and the founder of the planetary lawyer project.
Here’s what I’ve been up to recently:
NJBiz just named me to its 2023 Law Power 50 list, highlighting the 50 most influential lawyers in New Jersey, and NJBIZ highlighted this newsletter in the profile!
We’re closing in on 400 subscribers and we’re getting ready to announce our first virtual event, a climate career panel that will be held in September.
I’m putting together another panel for Rutgers University and the Air and Waste Management Association on legal aspects of environmental justice.
Reach out by email or LinkedIn if you’re interested in any of the following:
Sponsoring this newsletter
Mentoring/coaching
Referring a legal matter
Any views expressed are my own. Nothing here is legal advice.
Now onto this week’s opportunities.
Have a lead on a job opening? Share it here.
Law Clerk. United States Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2 (New York / Caribbean Superfund Branch). New York City, New York. https://www.usajobs.gov/job/739222700. $80,769 - $104,996 per year. Must possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree. The EPA is looking for a qualified legal professional to work in their New York office.
Attorney-Adviser. United States Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2 (New York / Caribbean Superfund Branch). New York City, New York. https://www.usajobs.gov/job/739224700. $80,769 - $125,851 per year. Attorneys must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
Associate Attorney, California Regional. Earthjustice. San Francisco, California. https://earthjustice.org/job/associate-attorney-california-regional. Law school graduate with 1-5 years of legal experience and admitted to, or willing and eligible to apply for admission to, the California State Bar; Salary range in San Francisco, CA: $102,300 - $131,900; Salary range in Los Angeles, CA: $97,200 - $125,30. Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization.
Associate Attorney, Rocky Mountain Regional. Earthjustice. Dever, Colorado. https://earthjustice.org/job/associate-attorney-rocky-mountain-regional. $92,100 - $118,700. 1-5 years of experience. The Associate Attorney position is a three-year position with the possibility of an additional three years as a Senior Associate Attorney. Based in Denver, the Rocky Mountain Office handles almost all areas of Earthjustice’s work in the Intermountain West and Southwest.
Assistant General Counsel. The public interest network. Greater Denver, CO area preferred. https://publicinterestnetwork.org/jobs/assistant-general-counsel/. One to five years of legal experience; The starting compensation range is $50,000-$75,000. With more than a dozen organizations — Environment America, PIRG, National Environmental Law Center and more — we’re winning positive social change for the environment and the public interest.
Senior Counsel. SoftBank (SB) Energy. San Francisco, California. https://sbenergy.com/careers/careers-detail/?gh_jid=4927129004. No salary listed. 4-6 years of experience. SB Energy is a full-service developer, owner and operator of clean energy projects looking for an attorney to report to the the Deputy General Counsel and work on various projects and negotiations.
Assistant General Counsel, Real Estate. RWE. Chicago, Illinois. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3675273193/. Salary not listed. 5+ years of experience. RWE is Europe's third largest company in renewable energy, using an extensive growth strategy to invest in offshore and onshore wind, solar, hydrogen, batteries, biomass and gas.
General Counsel. Suntuity Renewables. Holmdel, NJ. https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=df4ce6aa-9157-4824-9ab3-d221e36668ff&ccId=19000101_000001&lang=en_US&selectedMenuKey=CareerCenter&jobId=470786. 5+ years of experience in renewable energy project finance, M&A, or development – understanding of partnerships/ joint ventures / tax equity contract structures an advantage. Suntuity Renewables has become one of the largest end-to-end residential solar companies in the country.
Regional Managing Counsel. Environmental Resources Management (ERM). Houston, Texas / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Ewing, New Jersey. https://erm.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ERM_Careers/details/Regional-Managing-Counsel---US-and-Canada_R00019721?q=counsel. No salary listed. 5+ years of experience. ERM is the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy – they are looking for a Regional Managing Counsel for the U.S. and Canada to lead a team of four that negotiates, drafts, and reviews a variety of contract types.
Senior Legal Counsel (maternity coverage). Climeworks. Texas. https://climeworks.com/career/1383980. You have between 5 and 10 years of experience negotiating, drafting, and managing contracts as well as experience in and contracting under US law. Climeworks removes CO₂ from the air to fight global warming and protect future generations to come.
Environmental and Sustainability Corporate Counsel. Caterpillar. Peoria, Illinois. https://careers.caterpillar.com/en/jobs/job/r0000213534-corporate-counsel-environmental-and-sustainability/. Salary not listed. 3-8 years of experience. Caterpillar produces products that fall into construction industries, resource industries, and energy & transportation – they are seeking an attorney to provide legal advice and support on environmental and sustainability matters across the company, domestic and international.
Senior Legal Counsel (Securities & Governance) - Director Level. Tractor Supply Company. Nashville, Tennessee. https://www.tractorsupply.careers/job/Brentwood-Director%2C-Legal-Securities-&-Governance-TN-37027/1050216300/. Salary not listed. 7+ years of experience. Tractor Supply Company, founded in 1938, is an American retail chain of stores that sells products for home improvement, agriculture, lawn and garden maintenance, livestock, equine and pet care for recreational farmers and ranchers, pet owners, and landowners. They are looking for an attorney to help prepare and review SEC filings.
Senior Legal Counsel. Climeworks. Texas. https://climeworks.com/career/1383980. No salary listed. 5 - 10 years of experience. Climeworks AG is a Swiss company specializing in carbon dioxide air capture technology – they are looking for an attorney to work on a broad range of legal topics, with a view to enable the financing, construction and commissioning of next generation plants. This position also offers extensive maternity coverage.
General Counsel. Zeeland Farm Services. Zeeland, Michigan. https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=37faa7e2-6138-4809-b576-f2f26f403fa1&ccId=294244605_8991&type=MP&lang=en_US&jobId=443549. No salary listed. 7-10 years of experience. Zeeland Farm Services, Inc. is a family-owned and operated business with seven decades of service to the agricultural and transportation industries.
Senior Counsel, Environmental Law. Redwood Materials. Reno or Carson City, Nevada. https://boards.greenhouse.io/redwoodmaterials/jobs/4939010004?gh_jid=4939010004. Salary not listed. 8+ years of experience. Redwood Materials works to create a circular supply chain for electric vehicles and clean energy products or order to make them more sustainable and drive down the cost for batteries.
Managing Attorney, Clean Energy Program. Earthjustice. Washington, District Of Columbia / Chicago, Illinois / New York, New York / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Los Angeles, California / San Francisco, California. https://earthjustice.org/job/managing-attorney-clean-energy-program. San Francisco or New York City: $225,900 - $251,000, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, CA or Chicago, IL: $214,700 - $238,500, Philadelphia, PA: $203,300 - $225,900. 10+ years of experience. The Managing Attorney will lead a team of attorneys and professional staff, and work with them to advance the goals of the largest public interest environmental law firm in the country.
General Counsel. The public interest network. Greater Philadelphia, PA, Greater Denver, CO preferred. https://publicinterestnetwork.org/jobs/general-counsel/. Ideally 8-16 years of legal experience; The starting compensation range for this position is $70,000-$90,000 and depends on relevant experience and education. With more than a dozen organizations — Environment America, PIRG, National Environmental Law Center and more — we’re winning positive social change for the environment and the public interest.