Week of 7/1 - Our Best Advice (Condensed!)
We’ve gone viral and are welcoming many new readers this week!
(We’re resending because of a glitch that prevented many of you from viewing the email! Must be all the new subscribers….)
We’ve gone viral and are welcoming many new readers this week!
Nick Martin, CEO of TechChange and social impact influencer, highlighted the planetary lawyer project in his resources for climate job seekers.
Here’s what our subscriber growth looks like over the past 90 days:
We’ve been lucky to have a few moments like this already, as our newsletter has been shared by some pretty amazing people!
And that means that this is the first issue for many of you, so we’re going to condense our most important advice into bite-sized pieces.
For those of you who have been here a while, we’re including some new elements and nuances, as well as one of my favorite inspirational quotes, so keep reading!
1. Any lawyer can work on climate issues, no matter their role or experience.
If you never read another word in this newsletter (which, honestly, would be a huge waste, so please keep reading), please read this and take it to heart: any lawyer can work on climate issues, no matter their role or experience.
Now you may think, well I can’t work on climate issues, I don’t have any climate or environmental experience. This is a huge myth, because doing climate work does not require any specific type of experience.
Climate companies and causes need ALL kinds of lawyers, so I guarantee that no matter your experience there is a climate issue that needs your help.
For instance, I have helped community groups to address environmental regulations, and I have helped climate companies to understand tax incentives that relate to sustainability initiatives, and I have helped climate tech companies understand construction code issues relating to new technology, and I have helped composting companies with basic contracts, and on and on and on.
If you broaden your mind, you can do just about anything to support the climate. So think about what you do best, and then find someone who needs that help.
2. You don’t need to have climate clients (or work at a climate-friendly company) to work on climate issues.
Okay, now you might be thinking, but I don’t have any climate clients, and my company isn’t focused on climate issues, so thanks, Matt, but I still can’t work on climate.
I’m so happy to tell you, that you’re dead freaking wrong.
You don’t need to have climate clients (or work at a climate-friendly company) to work on climate issues.
Martin Luther King famously said: “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
Apply that same principle here. What do I mean?
If you don’t have immediate access to working on climate in your day-job, think about how you could spend 1% of your day working on climate. That could look like:
Forming a green group at work to advance climate initiatives and policies
Finding work in your day-job that is, tangentially, focused on climate or climate-adjacent issues
Finding work in your day-job that gives you new skills to some day work on climate issues
Finding work in your day-job that gives you new connections that may someday lead to climate work
But also think broader than your day-job. How? Here are my favorite tips:
Do pro bono work - Almost all law firms and legal employers encourage pro bono work, and there are so many climate companies and causes that need pro bono help. You can read more about my thoughts on pro bono here and here, but I have used pro bono personally to make an impact and promote my career.
Write helpful articles (or presentations) - You can’t help everyone at the same time, but writing a helpful resource can help a lot of companies at once, and can raise your profile and bring you climate clients. So research an issue facing climate companies that is within or adjacent to your expertise, and write a targeted article that helps companies solve a problem. Then think about all the companies you just helped! You might not be their lawyer in the strict sense of the word, but WHO CARES! you helped them and made an impact. I’ve done this here and here, and have made a big impact with both! For those of you that are scared of writing and “putting yourself out there,” I see you. I am you. I used to throw up before any public speaking engagement, but as I kept going, I found my voice, found my style, and found my confidence. Now I regularly land clients from articles and presentations.
Get involved with trade associations and social impact communities - Okay, this point has several components. First, getting involved in trade associations allows you to develop subject matter knowledge about specific climate businesses, and there is NOTHING that clients like better than knowing that their lawyers understand their business. Second, if you are deeply involved, you will begin to spot issues and opportunities, and be able to generate interesting articles and presentations that make a difference to the industry. Again, just by being involved in the industry group, you can make a difference for the companies in the industry, so you are working on climate issues whether they are paying you or not. Lastly, you are networking within a community, which is so powerful. Do you trust the people in your immediate community more than, say, a random stranger? Yes! So joining a community, be it a trade group or a any other community, will help you develop trust.
3. Only you can chart your climate journey, and you can do it one step at a time.
I’ll leave you with this advice for now.
The tips I’m sharing work.
I’ve used them to go from an associate with no clients and no connections to a partner at an AmLaw 200 firm and the head of its Environmental and Sustainability Law Practice, with a long list of quality climate-clients who trust me and allow me to help them make an impact.
I did it in about 6 years, bit by bit and piece by piece. One day at a time, one action at a time.
I made a commitment to myself to build a climate-friendly practice, and I looked for every opportunity, no matter how small. I have been rewarded, faced challenges and setbacks, laughed, cried, doubted, cheered, and so much more.
But I had to believe and keep moving forward. That’s why I’m writing this. So I can share my hard-won belief with you.
We are all in this together and I will keep showing up here to help you and anyone else that will listen.
And if you want a little more connection, we are still working to launch our networking and matermind/peer-to-peer coaching sessions. You can express interest here.
Hi! I’m Matthew Karmel, chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Law Group at Offit Kurman, P.A., a full-service AMLaw 200 law firm, and the founder of the planetary lawyer project.
I always include “what I’ve been up to” and this issue I’m sharing a video of a recent presentation:
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.
New Mexico Staff Attorney. Center for Biological Diversity. New Mexico. https://biologicaldiversity.bamboohr.com/careers/43. Minimum three years litigation experience; Salary Range: $69,000-85,000 DOE. The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species.
Staff or Senior Attorney. Southern Environmental Law Center. Birmingham, AL. https://www.southernenvironment.org/career/staff-or-senior-attorney/. At least three years of advocacy experience, including administrative review processes and litigation. SELC aims to protect the basic right to clean air, clean water, and a livable climate.
Environment California Conservation Advocate. Environment America. Los Angeles or Sacramento. https://environmentamerica.org/jobs/environment-california-conservation-advocate/. At least three years of team building and/or coalition building experience. The starting compensation range is $36,000-$42,000 and depends on relevant experience and/or education. Environment America is a national network of 30 state environmental groups.
Regulatory Affairs Specialist. EnergyHub. NY, VT or Remote. https://www.energyhub.com/career/job-listings/?gh_jid=6565494002. 3-6 years of work experience. The salary range for this position is $95,000-$110,000. EnergyHub is a growing enterprise software company that works with the most forward-thinking companies in smart energy.
Sr. Counsel Region- Employment. US Foods. Remote. https://usfoods.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/usfoodscareersExternal/job/California-Virtual-Location/Sr-Counsel-Region---Employment---100--Virtual-_R244725?q=counsel&pk_vid=e77bd87ca9bff7181688002808d0f0ce. 3-6 years of experience focused on employment law. US Foods (NYSE: USFD) has helped shape how people eat in America for more than five generations.
Sr. Legal Counsel. NineDot Energy. NYC. https://nine.energy/about-us/work-with-us/apply?gh_jid=4286729005. 5+ years of substantial relevant experience within a growing startup and/or corporate legal department. Salary Range: $225,000 - $250,000 plus bonus. NineDot Energy is creating innovative energy solutions that support a more resilient electric grid, deliver economic savings and reduce carbon emissions.
Patent Attorney. Rondo Energy. Alameda, CA. https://boards.greenhouse.io/rondoenergy/jobs/4230567006. 5+ years of experience practicing patent law, with a strong preference for experience in the energy sector. The estimated salary for this role is between $180,000.00 and $220,000.00. Rondo Energy's mission is to eliminate 15% of global CO2 emissions in 15 years.
Legal Counsel. Pachama. Remote. https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/2e1eda98-2cb6-4483-9e95-f8793768a8d6. 5+ years in legal roles devoted to infrastructure / natural resource project development. Pachama is a mission-driven company looking to restore nature to help address climate change.
Environmental Justice Litigator. Southern Environmental Law Center. Chapel Hill, NC. https://www.southernenvironment.org/career/environmental-justice-litigator/. Five or more years of litigation experience. SELC aims to protect the basic right to clean air, clean water, and a livable climate.
Senior Counsel / Assistant General Counsel. OhmConnect. Remote. https://apply.workable.com/ohmconnect/j/5E2DDC47D3/. 6+ years of practicing law, including experience at a law firm and at least two years of in-house experience. Base salary: $215k-$240k. OhmConnect alerts you and your smart home when dirty, expensive power plants switch on nearby and pays you for reducing your electricity use.
Assistant General Counsel. Exelon. Newark. https://jobs.exeloncorp.com/jobs/12958743-assistant-general-counsel. At least 7 years of litigation experience. No compensation noted. Exelon is leading the energy transformation.
Senior Attorney. The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Remote. https://careers.nature.org/psc/tnccareers/APPLICANT/APPL/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_SCHJOB_FL&Action=U. 7 years relevant legal experience. TNC is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.
Associate General Counsel, Employment Law. Lumen. Denver or Remote. https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/job/329072/Associate-General-Counsel-Employment-Law-Denver-CO-Hybrid-or-Remote. 8+ years of legal practice, with an emphasis on employment law; Salary $115740 to $257280. Lumen is guided by our belief that humanity is at its best when technology advances the way we live and work.