What is the title of your report?
Environmental Attorney
Report:
An
Environmental Attorney practices in a field that literally touches each
American’s everyday life. Considering
that “going green” is on the lips of many persons, this type of law addresses
global warming and oil spills to how land is used and abused and the care of
our National Parks. An Environmental
Attorney needs to be educated in general law but usually has a keen interest in
how the 
law and the environment are intertwined. An increasing number of law schools are
offering specialized classes in environmental law and those completing the
specialty law programs will find that their career choices are increasing both
in salary and satisfaction in legally protecting our environment (Maron 2011,1).
Findings
An environmental lawyer fights for peoples’ rights on issues in the environment related to protection of wildlife and land, and stopping pollution. This attorney may work by themselves but, often times, works in a team of lawyers to make sure the federal laws for the protection of the environment are supported. The environmental lawyer is a lobbyist to defend the environment against practices, individuals or companies that want or can cause harm. She must interview witnesses before court hearings and prepare the case for defense of the environment. It would not be unusual for the lawyer to start out by working out a settlement between two parties---the one in protection of the environment and the one causing potential harm to the environment. However, when settlements cannot be reached, the lawyer must prepare a case and witnesses for trial. This lawyer works as researcher, adviser, and negotiator in the way of environmental law and reaching settlement agreements (Bumpres, 2011, 4).
Preparing to be an environmental attorney is very demanding but also potentially rewarding both in terms of job satisfaction and earning money. You have to have quite a bit of knowledge to apply for law school and then the actual environmental attorney specialty. To start with, you have to know the law, how courts work, and government regulations. You must understand how our democratic system works. Having a command of English both verbally and in writing is critical as words convey a great deal in law. As an environmental attorney you have to interact with others, so one should be personable; particularly, with respect to one’s client. Lawyers tend to be Type A individuals and it is common to see an attorney being a leader. In today’s technical world, an attorney most certainly must be able to use a computer to write up documents and to do online research. However, she should be able to handle hard copy files and read traditional law texts. In fact, one only has to visit a law office to see a typical law library with many volumes of books and references. An attorney has to keep in mind their own personnel file for the advancement of their career and also understand labor law which may be a part of their cases. They have to understand some accounting as your clients may be affected financially by a case. Also, having an understanding of psychology would help as one works with very different personalities both in the legal system and the clients (Anonymous A, 2011, 5).
She has to have certain personal skills that are instinctive or can be learned in school and on-the-job. To begin with the basics, an attorney has to speak well and have good listening skills. She has to be able to read large and complex documents and books and then critically think about what was read. After all of that reading and understanding, the attorney must be able to make a judgment as to what was read and write out what that means to her audience. Now, for those very personal skills, an attorney should be a good negotiator and be able to persuade or influence different types of people. With all of these skills and actions going on, she should be able to manage time to get a tremendous amount of things done in a compact time period. One will know they are mastering the skills when they can teach someone else the things that they do every day (Anonymous A, 2011,6).
Related to skills very closely are abilities. These may seem to be very similar or the same as skills or knowledge. However, they tend to be willingness or a capacity to show the skills. For instance, she could have an ability to come up with creative and original ideas regarding a case. Also, she could have an ability to understand certain patterns, memorize well, or visualize circumstances (Anonymous A , 2011, 7).
Also, international environmental lawyers often receive specialized training in the form of an LL.M. degree after having a first law degree. Environmental law is popular in other countries, so it would not be unusual to have a foreign student in one’s environmental law class. Now comes the scary part – tuition at a couple of institutions. For example, it is about $45,000.00 at Vermont Law School and Lewis and Clark, in Oregon, is nearly $37,000.00. These costs are per year and just for tuition! You have to add in books, other costs, and perhaps room and board. As one can see, this is a very expensive degree to obtain as you have to multiply these costs by at least 3 years, perhaps more, of law school (Anonymous B, 2011, 1;
Anonymous C ,2011, 1).
As “going green” becomes the world’s priority, lawyers who can assist clients on green standards and how to sustain our planet will be in demand. There are experts who predict that greenhouse gases, climate change, global warming and other environmental legislation will increase the legal cases for environmental lawyers in coming years. By the year 2018, jobs for lawyers working in the environmental field will grow by 11 percent. Growth is due to more groups and individuals wanting to protect the environment for future generations. However, lawyers in this industry will experience strong competition due to more students enrolling in law school programs that specialize in environmental law (Kane, 2011,3).
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an environmental lawyer earns an average annual salary of $60,000 to $80,000. How much one earns may differ by location [e.g. big city] and the size and popularity of the law firm. So, employment at a “high-powered” law firm may bring well over $100,000. In return, those law firms often expect their lawyers to work 60-80 hours a week. Salaries may be less when an environmental attorney is employed by the government. However, being employed by the government gives more freedom in one’s personal life, shorter hours, and more time off (Bumpres, 2011, 14).
Environmental law is not stagnant and keeps evolving and becoming innovative over the years. Today’s environmental lawyer can go into subspecialties including energy and natural resources, green law, climate change, land use and regulatory compliance. Lawyers with a practice in renewable energy represent the latest in “cutting-edge” topics. Renewable energy lawyers advise clients on issues relating to solar energy, wind energy, biofuels, ocean and hydrokinetic energy, waste-to-energy, geothermal and other clean technologies. Attorneys also handle cases in carbon reduction projects and green building. These things not only affect us in our homes and locally but also across the nation and worldwide (Kane, 2011,5;
Kane, 2011, 6).
Specific examples will help to highlight recent trends. Environmental and industrial catastrophes have often made people demand action from their elected officials. This has resulted in new regulations aimed at preventing future disasters (Fox, 2010, 1). In our Southern California area, the California Green Building Standards Code or CALGreen, is a new code that sets mandatory requirements and voluntary measures for public buildings and private homes (Holt, 2011, 1). Even President Obama signed an agreement with thirteen major automakers as part of the Administration's program to increase fuel efficiency standards to 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025 (Banks,2011,1). Attorneys in environmental law are trying to make a positive change in society while drawing upon science and nature. Now those are really up-to-date ideas affecting us all!
Conclusions
In conclusion, becoming an environmental attorney/lawyer is an exciting, yet demanding pursuit. This type of attorney practices a form of law that is involved with the “green” movement in the world and supporting and protecting our natural environment. Some colleges have special course programs in environmental law and prepare the lawyer for this progressive specialty.
There are not many negative points but one has to first be admitted to a law school after getting good college grades. It is a long program, usually 3-4 years and there is much studying and preparation. The tuition and fees are very steep and one will be paying for it long after a graduation. The prospective lawyer needs to have excellent skills and abilities such as reading, writing and communication. However, the positive aspects are that the field of environmental law is growing rapidly and very current with what is happing in our society and the environment. One feels that they are really helping to prevent bad things from occurring to our environment and the lawyer is always trying to serve her clients and to make sure the environment is protected.
Bibliography:
1. Anonymous A 2011. "Environmental Career Information".
http://www.mymajors.com/careers-and-jobs/Environmental-Attorney
2. Anonymous B 2011. "Law School Costs for 2011-2012".
http://www.lclark.edu/offices/account_services/settling_your_account/calculating_costs/costs/law/
3. Anonymous C 2011."Vermont Law School Tuition and Fees"
http://www.vermontlaw.edu/Admissions/Tuition_and_Financial_Aid/Tuition_and_Fees.htm
4. Banks 2011. " We'll All Be Driving Safer in 2025"
http://environmentallawblog.greenbergglusker.com/attorneys/sedina_l_banks/
5. Bumpres 2011. " Environmental Lawyer Job Description".
http://www.ehow.com/about_6511186_environmental-lawyer-job-description.html
6. Fox 2010. " Disaster Laws: Will Gulf Oil Spill Change Anything?"
http://www.livescience.com/10684-disaster-laws-gulf-oil-spill-change.html
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http://www.martindale.com/environmental-law/article_Greenberg-Glusker-Fields-Claman_1242566.htm
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http://legalcareers.about.com/od/legalpracticeareas/a/Environmentallaw.htm
9. Maron 2011." Environmental Law is a Growing Field For Attorneys"
http://ezinearticles.com/?Environmental-Law-is-a-Growing-Field-For-Attorneys&id=4539971