Week of 12/3 - My climate confession
Do you every feel like a climate fraud?
I get to represent climate-conscious companies that are making a difference for the planet.
But I can feel like a fraud sometimes because I also represent more typical businesses, such as real estate developers and insurance companies.
Lawyers come to me to find out how to do more climate-friendly legal work, and often they want to do what I do, thinking that I spend every day saving the planet (partly because social media only tells part of the story).
The truth though is that about 50-60% of my work is climate-focused.
When I started my journey towards becoming a planetary lawyer many years ago, I didn’t do any planet-friendly legal work.
Over time, I slowly increased the percentage of work I did for companies and projects that champion climate interests.
And I mean slowly….
Year 1: 1% planet-friendly legal work (and all pro bono)
Year 2: 3% planet-friendly legal work (mostly pro bono)
Year 3: 10% planet-friendly legal work (half pro bono)
Year 4: 20% planet-friendly legal work (only a little pro bono)
. . .
. . .
. . .
Today: 50-60% planet-friendly legal work (but still committed to pro bono)
I’m thankful that I get to do that much, and I want others to know that combining climate work with traditional work is a good thing!
In fact, I’m not sure if I’ll ever reach 100% climate work or if that’s even a goal for me.
Why not?
Because I am not just one thing; and because I value diversity and stability in my career.
I enjoy counseling real estate developers on complicated environmental transactions, and I feel really good at it. I enjoy solving problems for businesses in general.
So I’m also still pursuing traditional legal work, because I’ve decided that having a diverse group of clients will help me to advance my career and do more planet-friendly work overall. Industries go through cycles, and I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket. I also want to have the comfort and stability to pursue interesting projects that might not be as economically lucrative. So it’s all in service of my greater goal, a balanced career that benefits me and the planet.
I struggle with this decision sometimes, in part because the environmental sphere tends to support purity over all else, but also because I hold myself to a high standard and am trying to set an example for others.
But, I know that I became a planetary lawyer when I intentionally took on my first climate-conscious client.
So the example that I would like to set is to be true to yourself and your goals.
You don’t need to do 100% climate-conscious work to make a difference.
1% makes a difference.
If you struggle with this question too, I would love to hear from you!
Next newsletter I’ll share another tip to help you build your climate career.
But for now…
Now onto this weeks opportunities.
Have a lead on a job opening? Share it here.
Corporate Counsel. ZeroAvia. Remote. https://zeroavia.applytojob.com/apply/SGz5avgDPY/Corporate-Counsel. No compensation or minimum experience noted. ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, flying the world's largest hydrogen-electric aircraft since September 2020.
Policy Analyst. Carbon Direct. San Francisco. https://jobs.lever.co/CarbonDirect/610cc885-073b-438b-8661-6f8ba51f297e. Compensation: $90,000-$150,000. No minimum experience noted; JD not required. Deep expertise in climate-related fiscal and tax policy, particularly within the United States. At Carbon Direct, we dedicate our scientific, software, and business expertise to empower organizations around the world to take climate action.
Real Estate Attorney. Engie. Los Angeles, CA. https://engie.referrals.selectminds.com/jobs/real-estate-attorney-232940?. 3+ years of experience with emphasis on real estate an/or title matters. No compensation noted. ENGIE is committed to reshaping the energy future through the global implementation of a lower carbon energy economy to preserve the world’s natural resources, including through solar and wind energy projects. I know this company, so please feel free to reach out for an introduction.
Legal Counsel. FINN. New York, NY. https://jobs.lever.co/finn.auto/e8d498e9-fd96-4e18-b2ca-dff2cab5cb93. 3-7 years of experience. Previous experience in general corporate matters and contracting is a must. A background in the automotive or FinTech industries, as well as experience in financing, M&A, or litigation would be a plus. FINN’s mission is to make mobility fun and sustainable by offering all-inclusive car-subscriptions (including CO2 emissions offsets).
Commercial Counsel. Maxeon. Remote. https://careers.maxeon.com/job/Austin-Commercial-Counsel-MI-78726/920574. 4+ years of relevant experience. No compensation noted. Maxeon Solar Technologies is a global leader in solar innovation. Built from 35 years of boundary-pushing solar innovation, Maxeon designs, manufactures, and sells industry-leading SunPower branded solar products.
Regulatory Policy Lead. GridStor. Portland. https://www.gridstor.com/careers-detail-regulatory-policy-lead.html. No compensation noted; JD not required. 4 years of prior project management experience in the renewable energy industry, a plus if 2+ years in battery energy storage projects (100MWh+ a bonus). GridStor is a rapidly growing, grid-scale energy storage developer, owner and operator backed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and led by experienced clean energy industry professionals.
General Counsel. Center for Sustainable Energy. San Diego, CA. https://www.goinhouse.com/jobs/170099946-general-counsel-at-center-for-sustainable-energy. No compensation noted. 4+ years of relevant experience at a top law firm or comparable in-house position. Familiarity with environmental law, government contracting, and software licensing preferred. The Center for Sustainable Energy is a national nonprofit that is transforming markets for clean transportation and distributed energy through software-enabled program design and administration.
Staff Attorney Wild Places. WildEarth Guadrians. Denver, CO; Missoula, MT; or Portland, OR. https://wildearthguardians.org/about-us/careers/staff-attorney-wild-places/. Minimum of 5 years of experience in litigation preferred. $75,000 – $85,000 annual salary commensurate with experience. WildEarth Guardians has a 33-year history of securing durable environmental protections that preserve endangered species and other wildlife.
Staff Attorney Climate & Energy. WildEarth Guadrians. Santa Fe, NM or Denver, CO. https://wildearthguardians.org/about-us/careers/staff-attorney-climate-energy/. 5 years of experience in litigation. $68,000 – 80,000 annual salary commensurate with experience.WildEarth Guardians has a 33-year history of securing durable environmental protections that preserve endangered species and other wildlife.
Senior Legislative Analyst. MCE. https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Senior-Legislative-Analyst-Nov-2022.pdf. JD not required. A minimum of six (6) years total of experience in legislative affairs at an electric utility, non-profit, or government agency. Starting Salary Range $120,536 - $156,190. MCE is a groundbreaking, not-for-profit, public agency that has been setting the standard for clean energy in our communities since 2010.
Sr. Corporate Counsel, M&A. Lucid Motors. San Francisco, CA. https://jobs.lever.co/lucidmotors/bffaf03b-b1f0-4d3c-92cf-c344f500dfa3?lever. 6+ years of experience practicing corporate and securities law required, including 4+ years of experience at a top-tier law firm. No compensation noted. This position will report to the Associate General Counsel of Corporate and Securities, and you will provide advice on M&A and other strategic transactions, as well as support and provide guidance on a range of corporate and securities matter. Lucid sets out to introduce the most captivating, luxury electric vehicles that elevate the human experience and transcend the perceived limitations of space, performance, and intelligence.
Senior Public Policy Manager. Zoox. Foster City. https://zoox.com/careers/job-opportunity/?job=fb95108b-8725-4c8e-bb9f-cb3461546baa. JD not required. 8+ years of public policy experience within government and/or relevant nonprofits, public interest groups, companies, or industry associations. Zoox is developing the first fully electric autonomous vehicles to support low-carbon transportation and to decrease congestion and reliance on individual car ownership in urban areas.
Assistant General Counsel, Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability. Volkswagen. Hybrid/Herndon, VA. https://vwgoa.taleo.net/careersection/volkswagen_group_of_america/jobdetail.ftl?job=GEN000093. 10+ years of experience; no compensation noted. Role involves blend of responsibility for environmental compliance, product lifecycle management, sustainability/ESG and health and safety.
Deputy General Counsel. Redwood Materials. Carson City, NV. https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/join/?gh_jid=4725467004. 12+ years of experience practicing law, inhouse experience preferred. 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.