Environmental Lawyer

Salary
Graduate: £20,000 - £25,000
Employee with 10-15 years in the role: £60,000 - £80,000

Main Employers

Law firms
Government departments
Public bodies
Consultancies
NGOs
Multinational energy companies
Self-employment

Job Profile
Environmental law covers the rules, regulations and procedures that are used to protect the environment around us. An environmental lawyer gives advice on decisions and policies that require law and public regulation, such as developing a wetland, siting a landfill site, or protecting a species. Environmental lawyers represent pressure groups, interest groups, companies whose work touches on environmental issues, such as construction, geological and waste management firms and regulators whose job it is to enforce environmental law.

Role and Responsibilities
Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

Ensuring that communities and individuals are aware of their environmental rights and the means to enforce those rights
Improving the law to help secure sustainable development
Drafting environmental legislation
Applying for licences
Working through the courts to save endangered habitat
Prosecuting or defending environmental offenders
Advising on matters such as air, noise and water pollution; brownfield development, contaminated land and remediation; climate change and emissions trading; CSR; countryside access; environmental impact assessment; health and safety; human rights; nature conservation; producer responsibility; compliance and licensing issues; waste management

Qualifications
Relevant further education subjects include: Business Studies; Law; Politics.

Graduates in subjects other than law are required to take the Common Professional Examination (CPE) in Law. All graduates have to undertake the one-year Legal Practice Course (LPC) before starting their two-year training contract. Entry is not possible with an HND only.

Competition for training contracts can be severe and many employers have come to expect a 2:1 degree or above. Some non-commercial practices will accept a 2:2, where additional skills and experience are offered. Useful experience can be gained from participation in student law society activities, client interviewing competitions and pro bono work schemes. A postgraduate qualification does not usually compensate for degree class but may be an advantage.

Career Development
The widening embrace of environmental legislation, stricter enforcement and mounting pressure to engage in the corporate social responsibility agenda bring a significant cost burden to many organisations and make professional advice essential.

Around 140 law firms are listed in legal directories as practising environmental law in the UK, although many of these do not have standalone environmental units or employ full-time environmental specialists. Growth in environmental litigation has been one of the most important factors bringing these firms into the environmental law market. Prosecutions for pollution and waste offences have been on a rising trend for some years.

Return to Job Profiles