Surprising trends from 517 climate law jobs

That's a lot of jobs, and we had many assumptions about what those jobs would be like…

the planetary lawyer project

May 06, 2024

517 opportunities for lawyers to work on climate.

That’s right, between launch in April 2022 through the end of 2023, this newsletter shared 517 job openings.

That's a lot of jobs, and we had many assumptions about what those jobs would be like…

We recently ran some statistics on all these jobs, and we learned some surprising things!

Were most of the jobs shared were in the energy industry? You might be shocked by the answer…

Were these jobs C-Suite roles?

How big are the companies?

How much experience do you really need to land a climate job?

When it comes to experience, turns out not that much is required.

While the average required experience was 4.7 years, exactly 1/3 of the jobs required less than 3 years experience!

At the end of the day, more information helps us make better decisions.

Whether we're looking for a new role, trying to find more climate-conscious clients, or just curious…

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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 Attorney. Sohagi Law Group. Los Angeles, CA. https://sohagi.com/careers/. No salary listed, 1- 6 years of relevant experience. The Sohagi Law Group, a boutique law firm located in West Los Angeles, is seeking an attorney to represent our public agency clients in land use and environmental law including CEQA, NEPA, air quality and climate change, planning and zoning, and related issues.

Associate, Construction Litigation. Troutman Pepper. Atlanta, GA. https://lateralhub.com/job/110-0087/. Troutman Pepper’s Construction group is seeking an associate to be based in our Atlanta office. This is an opportunity to represent clients on sophisticated commercial matters, including complex construction projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Ideally, candidates will have 2 to 4 years of commercial or construction litigation experience. The salary range for this position is $225,000 – $275,000 dependent on relevant years of experience. Candidates must be in good standing and licensed to practice in the state of Georgia.

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, Project Finance - Energy/Infrastructure. Mintz. Multiple Locations, Boston and DC preferred. https://lateralhub.com/job/125-0046/. At least 4 years of project finance experience. The salary range for this position is $310,000 to $365,000. Admitted or eligible for admission in MA, DC, NY or CA.

In-House

P5-Legal and Risk Management-Counsel. WSP. Atlanta, GA, United States. Lancaster, PA, United States. Lawrenceville, NJ, United States. https://emit.fa.ca3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/job/54313. 7 to 10 years of relevant experience. 3 to 5 years of related industry experience preferred. WSP’s dynamic and multiple-award winning legal team is committed to providing world class legal services to our managers and consultants practicing in the field of engineering, environmental and construction services.

Assistant Vice President, Counsel. WSP. Atlanta, GA, United States. Lancaster, PA, United States. Lawrenceville, NJ, United States. https://emit.fa.ca3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/job/56654. 10+ years of relevant experience. 3 to 5 years of related industry experience preferred. WSP’s dynamic and multiple-award winning legal team is committed to providing world class legal services to our managers and consultants practicing in the field of engineering, environmental and construction services.

Senior Counsel. Sunwealth. Cambridge, Massachusetts (Hybrid). https://sunwealth.bamboohr.com/careers/40. 5-7 years prior legal experience in a law firm or in-house role. Sunwealth is a clean energy investment firm on a mission to expand who benefits from renewable energy by changing the way we invest in it.

General Counsel. Sol Source Power. Remote (United States). https://www.solsourcepower.com/careers. $200,000 - after tax. 7+ years of relevant experience. The General Counsel will be responsible for providing strategic legal advice and guidance to the company's executive team as well as ensuring that all legal matters and contracts are handled effectively and efficiently.

Senior Counsel – Environmental – ESG Legal. Abbott. Chicago, IL. https://www.jobs.abbott/us/en/job/31085945/Senior-Counsel-Environmental-ESG-Legal. $143,300 - $286,700. 8+ years of experience. As the Senior Counsel – Environmental, you’ll have the chance to provide direct oversight for complex elements of Abbott’s global sustainability program at the corporate level.

Assistant General Counsel, Real Estate. Clearway Energy. California. https://boards.greenhouse.io/clearwayjobs/jobs/4352449007. 10+ years of relevant experience at a major law firm and/or with a sophisticated in-house legal department; previous in-house experience preferred.$200,000—$260,000 USD. Clearway Energy Group is leading the transition to a world powered by clean energy.

Government and Non-Profit

Fellow, Marine Conservation Policy. National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Washington, D.C. https://recruiting.ultipro.com/NAT1047NWF/JobBoard/1ca8346a-33cc-401d-90d9-d7f752fdfd7d/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=89c321c5-1778-4523-992a-5df2b906fbfe. This 11-month position offers $20.00 per hour. The National Wildlife Federation is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization.

Policy Associate - Clean Energy (Based in Nebraska, Iowa, or Minnesota). Center for Rural Affairs. https://www.cfra.org/policy-associate-clean-energy-based-nebraska-iowa-or-minnesota. This position has a salary range of $47,000-$58,000 with top-notch benefits that have a cash value of $10,000 to $29,500, depending on family status and tenure with the Center. The Center for Rural Affairs is a dynamic, energetic non-profit organization working to build a better rural future for all.

Graduate (Summer) Intern - Energy Law and Policy Analysis. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Colorado. https://nrel.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NREL/job/Golden%2C-CO/Graduate--Summer--Intern---Energy-Law-and-Policy-Analysis_R12541/apply/applyManually?q=law. Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution. Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year. Job Profile: / Annual Salary Range: $49,100 - $78,600. (NREL) is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Environmental Justice Business Model Reviewer. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Coloradohttps://nrel.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NREL/job/Golden%2C-CO/Graduate--Year-Round--Intern---Environmental-Justice-Business-Model-Reviewer_R12185-1/apply/applyManually?q=law. Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree program, or graduated in the past 12 months from an accredited institution.Job Profile: Graduate I / Annual Salary Range: $42,700 - $68,300.(NREL) is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

General Law Attorney. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Colorado.https://nrel.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NREL/job/Golden%2C-CO/General-Law-Attorney_R12582/apply/applyManually?q=law. Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 2 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Job Profile: Professional II / Annual Salary Range: $95,500 - $171,900. (NREL) is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Associate Attorney, Florida Regional. Earthjustice. Miami, FL. https://earthjustice.org/job/associate-attorney-florida-regional-office. 0-4 years of post-graduate experience. The Associate Attorney position is a three-year position with the possibility of an additional three years as a Senior Associate Attorney; Earthjustice is an international nonprofit public interest environmental law organization.

Assistant County Attorney - Environmental. Harris County. Houston.https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/harriscountytx/jobs/newprint/2433192. Five (5) years of civil trial experience. The HCAO is seeking an Assistant County Attorney for its Environmental Practice Group. The incumbent will be responsible for managing approximately forty (40) active cases, assisting as second chair on large litigation matters.

Staff Attorney (Administrative/Environmental Law). EarthRights International. Washington, DC. https://earthrights.org/careers/. $120,000 - $130,000. 5 - 10 years of relevant experience. The attorney must have extensive experience working with U.S. administrative law, preferably litigation under federal environmental statutes and regulations, and a keen understanding of how to use that body of law to help communities and combat climate change.

General Law Attorney. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Golden, CO. https://nrel.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NREL/details/General-Law-Attorney_R12582?q=general%20law. $95,500 - $171,900. 2+ years of relevant experience. This role is under the direct supervision of the Assistant General Counsel (AGC) and entails collaborative work with the AGC, other legal advisors at the laboratory, and NREL's management and staff across various levels.

Chief Counsel. California Energy Commission. Sacramento, CA. https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=428710. $152,388 - $241,728. No minimum salary is specified; the attorney must be eligible to be appointed to this Career Executive Assignment (CEA) by the State of California. The Chief Counsel plans, organizes, directs, and coordinates the legal work of the California Energy Commission; and advises the Commissioners, Executive Director, and staff on critical legal problems.