Week of 12/18 - Asking for the planet
I’ve gotten better at asking for things over the years…
And it is actually one of the most crucial skills that I use daily with clients, colleagues, contacts, collaborators, basically anyone that starts with the letter “c”.
I’ve also learned to be pretty fearless about asking for BIG things.
Like what?
Well, let’s take our upcoming virtual mini-conference. . .
We have incredible partners, panelists, and sponsors, and a host of organizations that have agreed to promote the event. You can check out all the details and register here.
All of this happened because I asked.
Some asks were easy because I was asking people I knew.
Others were harder because I was making “cold” asks to people I had never met.
I heard “no” plenty of times.
I heard “not right now” too, so I’ll follow up with those people for my next ask. :)
But all that matters is that I asked.
None of this would have been possible without that crucial first step.
Want to see the actual email that I used to ask a panelist to join the mini-conference?
So, the takeaways?
Don’t be (too) afraid to make the ask
Make the ask as specific as possible
Show how the ask benefits both of you
Read the email several times and make it as natural and concise as possible
Don’t take “no” or any negative response personally
Keep in contact afterwards and make other asks when appropriate
Hi! I’m Matthew Karmel, chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Law Group at Offit Kurman, P.A. and founder of the planetary lawyer project.
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 with a thriving book of climate-related clients.
I did it all without going to a T14 law school, working in BigLaw, or running myself into the ground along the way.
Now, I want to help you build your own climate-friendly legal career through my newsletter, the planetary lawyer project.
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.
Summer 2024 Legal Intern. NRDC. Positions available in New York, NY | Washington, D.C. | Chicago, IL | Santa Monica/San Francisco, CA. https://careers-nrdc.icims.com/jobs/5443/summer-2024-legal-intern/job?mobile=false&width=1390&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-300&jun1offset=-240. Salary may vary as the candidate will be considered for either a paid internship with a stipend of $6,000 paid bi-weekly over the course of 10 weeks, a paid internship with a stipend of $10,000 paid bi-weekly over the course of 10 weeks, a paid internship with a stipend equivalent to $17.14/hour paid bi-weekly over the course of the assignment, a paid internship with a stipend equivalent to $28.57/hour paid bi-weekly over the course of the assignment, or an unpaid internship for academic credit. Looking for 1L students! The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a non-profit international environmental advocacy group.
Corporate Counsel. Carbon Direct. Remote (US) | Seattle, WA | Oakland, CA. https://boards.greenhouse.io/carbondirect/jobs/4158482007. $159,000-$194,000. No minimum experience is listed but must have post-graduate experience. Carbon Direct is a company that provides actionable data that enables all actors in the advertising ecosystem to decarbonize.
Patent Agent. Pivot Bio. Remote (US). https://www.pivotbio.com/job-description?gh_jid=6965084002. $104,580—$130,725. 5+ years of relevant patent preparation and prosecution experience. The attorney will work to develop IP arising from Pivot Bio’s R&D activities – Pivot Bio is an agricultural tech company improving the microbiome by taking nitrogen from the air and making it available for plants.
*More experienced attorneys should consider applying for a Senior Patent Agent position at the same link.
Assistant Counsel, Environmental Law. PSEG. Melville, NY, US. https://jobs.pseg.com/LI/job/Melville-Assistant-Counsel%2C-Environmental-Law-NY-11747/1089474900/. $125,700-$211,900. 5-10 years of relevant legal experience, focusing on environmental law and regulatory compliance. The attorney will advise and represent PSEG Long Island, as an agent for the Long Island Power Authority d/b/a LIPA on environmental compliance, due diligence, licensing, permitting, site remediation, and cost recovery litigation issues.
Head of Legal. Sound Agriculture. Emeryville. https://boards.greenhouse.io/soundagriculture/jobs/5820591003. 6+ years of combined law firm/in-house experience with top tier firm or startup; $200,000 to $220,000 base salary. At Sound Agriculture, we believe our food system can nourish consumers while benefiting farming communities and the planet.
Senior Counsel. Heirloom. Brisbane, CA. https://jobs.lever.co/HeirloomTechnologies/98c65850-4086-4b5c-9e05-184137ce5b2d. $150,000 - $200,000 a year. 7+ years of relevant experience, preferably in energy project development or a related area. The attorney will support the commercial team and project development by closing deals, developing a long-term library of market-making form contracts, and supporting the legal team in operationalizing legal requirements.
Senior Commercial Counsel. Electric Hydrogen. San Carlos, CA. https://eh2.com/careers/?gh_jid=4332105005. $220,000-$242,000. 10 years minimum of relevant legal experience in leading commercial transactions with a global law firm/in-house legal team. Electric Hydrogen (EH2) manufactures, delivers, and commissions the world's most powerful electrolyzers for critical industries to produce the lowest-cost green hydrogen.
Senior Procurement Counsel. Electric Hydrogen. San Carlos, CA. https://eh2.com/careers/?gh_jid=4332101005. $220,000-$242,000. 10 years minimum of relevant legal experience in leading procurement transactions with a global law firm/in-house legal team. Electric Hydrogen (EH2) manufactures, delivers, and commissions the world's most powerful electrolyzers for critical industries to produce the lowest-cost green hydrogen.
Legal Counsel - International Contracts & Corporate Affairs. PUR. Paris, Île-de-France, France. https://pur.recruitee.com/o/legal-counsel-2024. No salary listed. 8-12 years of qualifying experience as a business partner in companies with international exposure. Pur is a division of Helen of Troy Limited that produces Pur Water products. Pur's products include water filter faucet mounts, pitchers, side taps, dispensers, coolers, and filtration systems for Kenmore refrigerators of Sears Holdings Corporation.