Environmental Lawyer Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Environmental lawyer?? Hi I need as much information as possible on being an environmental lawyer such as: Pay Hours Opportunities What to Study Where to study it in Australia The main things they do Any information would be really good Thanks in advance :)

Answer: I don't know specifically about Australia, but, In the U.S., jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast!! This is just not a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING vocational field. Many reasons. Many people today (mistakenly) think they can do their own legal work, thanks to the Internet. Also, we simply already have way too many Legal Professionals - we have an absolute glut!! ("Legal Professionals" includes, but is not limited to: Attorneys/Lawyers, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc) Reminder: We are in a worldwide Recesssion........... Even if you finish law school, you won't be able to find a job when you are done. Since this vocational field is shrinking, many new attorneys/lawyers are, themselves, having to work "down" as Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc, to simply try to keep some of their bills paid <<this would be your competition. And the competition is fierce!! Now... the law schools know this, but they won't tell you the truth >that the job market/economy is just saturated with way too many Legal Professionals. Instead the schools will feed you a fairytale and will lie to you. The root of the problem is we have too many law schools. We are in a recession, and the schools are fighting for their own survival - they will tell students anything to get to the students' money. (Which is why they won't tell you the truth about the job market for the field of Law.) And these schools continue to recruit and churn out even more graduates............. If you don't believe me, then just do a search here on Yahoo Answers to see what other posters are saying about the current status of the field of Law. Call some local law firms - ask to speak to the Manager of Human Resources - ask them if they are hiring; ask them what they think about job availability in the field of Law.................. In the book "So You Want to be a Lawyer?" by Marianne Calabrese and Susanne Calabrese (ISBN 0-88391-136-1): "The United States has more lawyers than any other country in the world. About 38,000 students graduate >each year< from the 200+ law schools in the United States. The competition is very keen for jobs and clients." - Even Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (who served on the U.s. Supreme Court for more than 20 years) says there are too many lawyers. (9/14/2008) If you want a job when you are done with your studies, consider and look into the field of healthcare! I spoke to a career counselor from Jobs and Family Services, and HE told me that this is where the jobs are, and future job availability! and scholarships! Good luck. (This was intended as personal opinion, and not intended to be used as legal advice.)

Question: What would an environmental lawyer major in? What would an environmental lawyer major in, and what are several required courses?

Answer: pre-law, pre-med, it's all the same To become a lawyer you need an undergraduate degree, doesn't matter what the degree is in either. I know people with art history degrees in law school. Then once in law school, you'll get to take maybe 3 to 4 classes that interest you. You don't have to know a single thing about the environment to be an environmental lawyer, just be interested in taking money from others.

Question: How would I go about getting a job with the EPA as an environmental lawyer? How would I go about getting a job with the EPA as an environmental lawyer?

Answer: Go to their EPA website and find out how to obtain a job with the agency.

Question: Is anyone here an environmental lawyer or environmental engineering lawyer? I have a degree in environmental engineering and planning to go to law school after I take my Professional Engineer exam. Has anyone gone down this tract or something similar? Is it financially/personally rewarding?

Answer: Not an environmental lawyer, but thought I might be able to help since you haven't gotten responses. My understanding of environmental law is it is one of the more "dead" areas of law. It doesn't seem like there's a lot of jobs or demand for environmental lawyers there. However. There are law firms and organizations that have environmental law practices, and I do see job ads from time to time. I would guess there are probably more people interested in practicing environmental law than the demand being there for them, so be warned about that. To set yourself apart and have a better chance at those jobs and financial security, I'd advise going to the best law school you can and doing well academically...which is good advice no matter what...but might be more essential in your case. Hope this helps.

Question: Is being an environmental lawyer a good job, or any other type for that matter? Ive heard all this crap about how being a lawyer sucks and i just wanted to know if it was true for all types of lawyers.

Answer: Lawyers are just another profession; it is not more honorable than being a trashcan collector, so get those social stereotypes out of your head. Your profession or what you do for a living and just that, part of you, not what makes YOU, as long as you live with respect and dignity it’s OK. The experts in law have many opportunities to work in very different areas. You may go to politics, to teaching, to hospitals, to helping communities, to work with the environment, work in public offices, or in private ones, work in corporate law, bank law, immigration law, health law, contract law, real estate law, taxes, criminal law, international law, etc. You may just be a legal advisor or you could be in court litigating all kinds of cases. The true thing about being a lawyer is that any bachelor degree will be fine and any practice area you choose will contribute to society in some way or another. The more diverse the field the better. Any branch of law can be practice in many ways. Environmental law can be practice in public office such as EPA, in pharmaceutics, in factories, can be international agreements, marine laws. It can be practice in state law and federal law. While studying for your Juris Doctor or masters in law you will have the chance to see how many opportunities you have. And by the way, since there are so many opportunities, you will never be out of job and be paid very well.

Question: What are the requirements to become an Environmental Lawyer? I need to know the qualifications and requirements. Thanks in advance.

Answer: go to law school

Question: Which is a more promising career choice: Environmental Lawyer or Physical Science Professor? And considering cost of education vs salary, which is better? I already have a bachelors degree in geology and a masters in library science.

Answer: If you criteria is cost of education vs salary, environmental lawyer has much more potential than a job as a Professor Although money is nice, once you get established in your profession, it become less important. You should be thinking about long term goals and what will give you the most job satisfaction

Question: Is it possible to be an aspiring film director and also to be an environmental lawyer? I want to be a film director but I want to have a support career incase the film directing doesn't take off?

Answer: It certainly is possible, especially in California, although your emphasis in the beginning might want to be entertainment law so it may be easier for you to meet those connected to the entertainment industry. I just read an article about an attorney who was also a director/producer in The Daily Journal. Go to: http://www.dailyjournal.com and read the article titled "For Former Lawyer, Life Is 'Bella’ Attorney-Turned-Producer Scores an Indie Hit With His First Project" by Don J. DeBenedictis Daily Journal Staff Writer. If you can't read the article, send connect to me on Yahoo Answers and I will send you the link (just remind me who you are). Hope this helps! ^_^

Question: Should I be an Environmental Lawyer, Climatologist, or a Marriage and Family Therapist? Which is the better career, considering compensation, and the likelyhood of finding a job?I have different reasons why each of these careers are appealing. But since they are so unrelated, I can't compromise to find a position that incorporates aspects of all of these professions.

Answer: Lawyers make good money - and while you certainly should specialize, my understanding is that if you pass the bar, it is non-specific. You can practice any type of law. I see the link between Environmental Law and Climatology, but MFT is TOTALLY different! My only experience with that is that it often works better for someone who has more life experience. Two suggestions I would make then: see if your school either offers a course or has at their career center some assessment / apptitude tests (Meyers-Briggs is the big name, but there are others) There are also mini versions linked off of Monster.com that can give you a little insight (full versions cost $) This will help you quantify where your interests are. Also, you may be able to arrange "Informational Interviews" with people who do this type of work. (either through your career center or on your own - just call and talk to someone about it! Many people are happy to speak to someone who is interested in their field.) This is a GREAT way to see what these fields are really like! My other thought for you is this. On average, people currently change CAREERS (not jobs) more than four times - and this number is sure to go UP. Find something you enjoy now and do it - you may find something else you have never heard of later that you LOVE! It isn't really likely that you are going to retire in the same field (not that this is a bad thing, just not common anymore) so do what you love! Best of luck!

Question: Can an environmental lawyer do the job of an environmental consultant? ? I was wondering if a environmental lawyer with a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and an LL.B. is qualified to work as an environmental consultant while still practicing law??

Answer: You must be in the UK. Here in the US, environmental consultants who do biological surveys, environmental impact statements, and environmental assessments very often already have a master's degree or a Ph.D. I've worked for a couple of environmental consulting firms (one that specialized in biological sciences and one that specialized in hydrogeology). We had staff people with bachelor's degrees who did much of the field work and/or research, but the final reports and all contact with clients was done by a scientist with either a master's degree or a Ph.D. Nothing left the office without being reviewed by the employees with the higher degrees. What kind of consulting to you wish to do? Wouldn't the higher-level degree in science give you the additional knowledge to consult on environmental matters?