Bridging the Gap: From Law School to Environmental Advocacy

May 21, 2024

Written By Francesca Jackson

The need for environmental advocacy in a world beset by climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and other environmental issues has never been greater. There is a growing recognition that legal professionals play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. If you would like to be one of the environmental advocates of the future, you’re in the right place! This article will take you through what it takes to bridge the gap between law school and real-life environmental law practice, sharing effective strategies and tips to help you accomplish your goals.

Understanding Environmental Advocacy

Environmental advocacy is multifaceted in nature, encompassing a wide range of tasks such as legal action, policy advocacy, grassroots organising, public education, and more. Environmental advocacy also plays a significant role in influencing policy decisions, shaping public opinion, holding polluters accountable, and protecting vulnerable communities and ecosystems.

There are a diverse range of stakeholders involved in environmental advocacy, including government agencies, non-profit organisations, community groups and community members, businesses, and academic institutions. Collaboration and partnerships amongst these stakeholders are crucial to achieving common goals. The result is that there are a plethora of roles available in the environmental advocacy arena.

Leveraging University Education

There are a range of ways in which you can prepare for real-life environmental advocacy practice while you’re still at university.

If your university offers the chance to get involved in environmental law programmes, such as legal clinics, seminars, networking events and specialised modules, then make sure you utilise them.

You can also gain hands-on experience through internships, shadowing opportunities, pro bono work and moot court competitions offered by external organisations. The importance of gaining real-life experience cannot be overstated, as these sorts of opportunities allow students to apply legal principles in real-world contexts and develop practical skills.

Even if you are not able to gain practical environmental advocacy experience while at university, don’t worry. There are a range of key transferable skills that law students acquire through their legal education, such as legal research, writing, analysis, oral advocacy, negotiation, and problem-solving. These skills will be just as important to an environmental advocacy career as any other.

Exploring Career Pathways

There are a range of career options available to graduates interested in environmental advocacy, including roles as environmental lawyers, policy analysts, lobbyists, environmental consultants, sustainability managers, and environmental educators.

The environmental advocacy sector is one of the most diverse out there. Environmental advocates work in a diverse array of sectors, such as government agencies, non-profit organisations, law firms, corporate sustainability departments, academic institutions, and international organisations.

There are also great opportunities for specialisation within environmental advocacy. For example, you may choose to focus on a specific environmental issue (climate change, water quality, biodiversity). Alternatively, you may choose to specialise in a certain legal area within environmental advocacy (regulatory compliance, litigation, land use planning), or a specific geographic region (local, national, international).

Building a Professional Network

The importance of networking in the environmental advocacy field cannot be overstated. It opens doors for career advancement, job opportunities, mentorship, and collaboration on advocacy initiatives.

In order to build your professional network, consider attending environmental law conferences and events, joining relevant professional associations, participating in environmental law clinics and pro bono projects, and connecting with alumni and professionals networking platforms like LinkedIn.

Once you have made these connections, make sure that you maintain them. Good ways of maintaining relationships include regular communication, informational interviews, and sharing relevant contacts and sector updates.

Developing Advocacy Skills

For aspiring environmental advocates, there are a number of essential skills you need to possess, such as effective communication, legal research, persuasive writing, public speaking, community organising, coalition-building, and strategic thinking.

If you feel you need to develop some of these skills, then consider utilising training opportunities. There are a range of ways you can develop your advocacy skills, such as by attending workshops, seminars, webinars, and training programmes. Make sure to also stay informed about emerging environmental issues, legal developments, and new advocacy strategies.

Navigating the Job Market

One of the most important parts of transitioning from law school to environmental advocacy is finding the right job for you.

In order to refine your job search strategies and navigate the job market in environmental advocacy, make sure that you are regularly researching job opportunities through online job boards, employer websites, and professional networks.

When it comes to applications, tailoring your materials is key, so be sure to craft effective resumes, cover letters, and writing samples that are tailored to environmental advocacy positions. Be sure to highlight relevant coursework, internships, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities related to environmental law and advocacy which you have done during your time at university.

Some good strategies for preparing for environmental advocacy job interviews include: researching prospective employers and setting up informational interviews, practising common interview questions, and preparing examples of past experiences and accomplishments relevant to the role. Practice makes perfect.

Conclusion

Bridging the gap between education to environmental advocacy can seem challenging at first. However, through thorough university preparation, meaningful networking, continuous skill development, and effective job search strategies, you can successfully pursue a career in environmental advocacy and make a meaningful impact on the world.

Becoming a Lawyer