The truth about climate work for junior associates

As my little blurb says, I started my career as an associate with a single pro bono climate client...

Jun 17, 2024

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.

As my little blurb says above, 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.

While that sounds good, it’s not quite true…

Okay, it’s an outright lie…

When I started, I had zero climate clients, not even a pro bono climate client.

Instead, I started out with some supportive colleagues, and a job practicing traditional environmental law (such as site remediation, environmental permitting, etc.).

If we go back a little further, I actually started out as a law student with a dream and a bunch of debt.

If we go back even further, I’m just a kid in a power rangers costume running around outside.

Why does this matter?

(Not the bit about power rangers, that doesn’t really matter, but the rest of it. )

I want you to know that, no matter where you start, you can build a career that is meaningful and viable.

I know what it takes.

I know that it takes a lot of effort and innovation to say the least.

In our recent ready survey, which you can still fill out here, we asked about the biggest challenges faced by lawyers that want to do more climate work.

We got several similar answers…

…Billables.

“How can I do climate work when my firm expects me to bill X hours/month?”

I wish that I had an easy answer to dealing with billable hours.

I do not think there is an associate alive that does not struggle with billable hours.

The pressure of meeting minimum targets.

The pressure of being too busy other times.

When I was an associate, I definitely struggled with balancing billable hours with my climate efforts.

How did I manage?

Set Personal Expectations

I set reasonable expectations about how much billable work I would do per month and how much climate work I would do (often non-billable at the outset), and I planned how to meet those targets and do climate work.

I then assigned PERSONAL VALUE to my non-billable work, and refused to think of it as non-billable. It was an investment. It was a service to the world.

But it was still messy, and some months I would be really stressed about billable hours, and other months I would not get any climate work done.

I kept looking for the right balance, and clarified my priorities.

And then, I started to get paying climate clients, and I was able to demonstrate that my efforts had a direct return to the firm and my own compensation, and things got easier.

I also thought about what would make my career feel more meaningful, and I sought out those experiences.

You can do this by making a list of the things that you want to have in your career (more client exposure/human interaction, more interesting projects, more climate projects, more money, more time for passion projects) and figuring out how to incorporate that into your career, or you can think about what you like about your current role, why you like that aspect of your role, and how you can get more of that.

Trust me, this will make a huge difference! I wanted more autonomy, in addition to more climate projects, so I found spheres of influence where I could act independently (industry groups, pro bono clients, etc.) and I made that a part of my career.

Create Feedback Loops

I also worked really hard as an associate to get value from my climate efforts.

I did this in part by making sure that the climate efforts resulted in a feedback loop, meaning that I worked in a climate niche so that my efforts were all related and all grew my credibility, connections, skills, etc.

I found that to be much more valuable than just finding one off projects or going in different directions constantly.

Feedback loops also tend to mean that you are interacting with the same people or groups over and over again, which allows you to create close relationships, which can make your work more meaningful and give you a sense of community and accountability, both of which will help you commit to your climate efforts.

Take the path of least resistance

I also highly recommend finding out what your firm values/compensates, and applying that to climate work.

For instance, my old firm had a decent pro bono policy, so I did pro bono every year that helped my climate efforts.

My firm also strongly supported getting involved in community leadership, so I joined the board of some climate focused organizations.

These things are easier than they seem, if you put yourself out there, but you have to figure out what your firm/supervisors value.

I have always viewed life as a game of sorts, trying to learn the rules, and then use exploit them as much as possible for my benefit, muahahahaha, I mean, maximize my experience by taking full advantage of what’s on offer…

Now that I have built a practice that focuses on climate clients, I have a lot more flexibility to do climate work when I want.

But the lessons that I learned as an associate still help me to be as effective as possible, because I still have limited time and resources, even if I am free to use them as I see fit.

What works for you? Let us know by replying to this email! We would love to hear from you!

(Please, as a personal favor, fill out the survey and help me deliver a better newsletter!)

Insights, Resources, and Community Announcements

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

If you have an article, job change, or other announcement that you would like us to share, please just reply here and we’ll share it!

As the community grows, we would love to celebrate your wins and accomplishments!

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

Senior Counsel Corporate Finance. Sunnova Energy. Remote. https://jobs.lever.co/sunnova/43abe09f-4364-43ac-ad82-aebf39767702. 4+ years of legal experience with a focus on structured finance/securitization at a at a large or mid-size law firm, in-house law department or governmental agency. Sunnova is a leading national residential solar company, trusted by over 386k+ homeowners.

Corporate Counsel, Sustainability. Amazon. Seattle, WA, Arlington, VA, New York, NY. https://amazon.jobs/en/jobs/2665658/corporate-counsel-sustainability. $138,500 - 229,000 (based on location). 5+ years relevant experience. The attorney will provide support for initiatives and legal issues related to Amazon’s ESG and sustainability reporting strategy and regulatory compliance regarding mandatory ESG reporting requirements.

Assistant General Counsel - Labor & Employment. Invenergy. Chicago. https://invenergyllc.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/es/invenergycareers/job/Chicago-IL/Assistant-General-Counsel---Labor---Employment_R08035-1?q=counsel. 5+ years of experience either within a law firm or as in-house counsel (or a combination thereof) supporting mid-sized companies with a global footprint. Invenergy drives innovation in energy.

Contracts Manager. Equilibrium (part of FiscalNote). Remote. https://jobs.lever.co/fiscalnote/c7999922-dad3-4bfc-86fe-e48469086196. 5+ years of work experience in a relevant law firm and/or corporate legal environment (preferred).Equilibrium is a leading next-generation Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) and Carbon Emissions management software platform.

Government and Non-Profit

Climate Justice Fellowship. Midwest Environmental Advocates. Hybrid position .https://midwestadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/Climate-Fellowship-Call.pdf. J.D. from an accredited law school and a license to practice law in the state of Wisconsin. MEA is a nonprofit law center that combines the power of law with the resolve of communities facing environmental injustice to secure and protect the rights of all people to healthy water, land and air.

Environmental Justice Attorney. California Department of Justice. Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland, Los Angeles, or San Diego (California). https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=434733. $10,536.00 - $13,526.00 per month (range may change based on level of experience). 0-5 years of relevant experience. The California Attorney General’s Bureau of Environmental Justice is seeking a qualified attorney with an interest in high impact, cutting edge, and creative legal work that reduces pollution and improves public health in the most vulnerable communities across California.

Staff Attorney. Defenders of Wildlife. Denver. https://jobs.jobvite.com/defendersofwildlife/job/ownKqfwN. 3+ years of litigation experience; salary: $108,000 - $110,000. Defenders of Wildlife works on the ground, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill to protect and restore imperiled wildlife and habitats across North America.

Associate Counsel. California Farm Bureau. California. https://www.cfbf.com/about-the-farm-bureau/careers/job-postings/associate-counsel1. 3 years or more of relevant experience in water rights, water quality, land use or environmental law. California Farm Bureau protects California’s diverse farming and ranching legacy and enables the whole agriculture community to thrive.

Staff Attorney. Defenders of Wildlife. Denver, CO. https://defenders.org/about/jobs?p=job%2FownKqfwN. $108,000 - $110,000. 3+ years of litigation experience. Defenders of Wildlife is the premier U.S.-based national conservation organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of imperiled species and their habitats in North America.

Vice President - Regulatory Reform. IREC. Remote. https://ats.rippling.com/es-ES/irecjobs/jobs/ec957294-fa4f-4efe-882e-ac708fceabc7. 5+ years of work experience and familiarity with public utility regulation, distributed energy resource policy and technology, and state policy and advocacy; $140,000 - $150,000. IREC is an independent nonprofit that builds the foundation for rapid adoption of clean energy and energy efficiency to benefit people, the economy, and our planet.

Legal Counsel (part-time). New City Parks. New York City, NY. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3925887398/. $50,000 - 75,000. 5+ years of relevant experience. New City Parks works with local community partners by selecting sites, financing, and constructing stewardship plans and programming for newly revitalized green spaces in cities.

Staff Attorney. RMI. Remote (United States). https://rockymountain.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/RMI/details/Staff-Attorney_R-101018-1. $140,469 - 155,000. 7+ years of relevant experience. The Rocky Mountain Institute, commonly abbreviated to RMI, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to research, publication, consulting, and lecturing in the field of sustainability, with a focus on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency.