My daughter is considering becoming an environmental lawyer after she obtains an engineering degree. She’s entering a first-year engineering program this fall, likely at Purdue but possibly Case Western. I think this sounds like a perfect fit for her. She’s smart, technical, and wants to help people and the environment. Is there anyone here in the CC community who has taken this path and willing to share your background? For years my daughter wanted to be an aerospace engineer with a focus on building sustainable aircraft. Lately, however, her AP Environmental Science class has piqued her interest in water quality, soil quality/sustainable farming, and air quality. I would love your thoughts on which engineering degrees would complement an environmental law degree, and anything else you think she should be considering. Thank you!
I am a public interest-side environmental lawyer, without an engineering degree, and I think undergrad work in engineering or statistics would be very valuable to a future environmental lawyer, even on the public side (and certainly on the private side). Corporate environmental work can include helping companies address complicated environmental clean-ups, or working with green companies seeking to engineer solutions to environmental problems. On the public interest side, your DD would be much better equipped to handle depositions of agency or industry experts, as well as understand complicated government documents about new rules or restoration projects – even environmental restoration is all about engineering these days!
And sorry, I don’t which engineering degrees would be best – but what kind of engineering is needed to design an environmental restoration project – like a wetland to treat stormwater runoff? Or to model different approaches to sea level rise – a big sea wall vs a constructed reef or barrier island offshore a highly developed area? or something else? On the corporate side, I’m sure there’s a lot abut chemical contamination – the new PFAS rules are going to be hard to comply with if they stick…
I’m a retired attorney that worked in environmental law. My undergrad was geology and I worked as an environmental consultant for 6 years before going to law school. Having a science based background is very helpful. When I was a consultant, as a hydrogeologist, I was frustrated by attorneys who had no clue or understanding about the science. Also, as an engineer, if she didn’t want pursue environmental law, or just want to diversify, she can become IP attorney. I would suggest that she worked in her field of study prior to law school. It’s good to have some practical experience and will give her a chance to reflect.
Thank you for your insight. I will be sure to share it with her.
I’ll just say, this sounds like a great plan. If she stays interested in this path I think she’ll fill a needed niche. My spouse’s college friend majored in physics at a small no-name LAC (and excelled), attended Stanford law, and is now partner at a huge patent firm and very successful of course. I don’t think that would have happened without the science background.
The majors of interest for your daughter would be civil or environmental engineering. There’s a lot of overlap there and some departments combine them.
Yes, she would also like to work in her field before law school. One of the options she has thrown out there is joining the Peace Corps for 2 years after graduation. Perhaps an internship or co-op will send her in a different direction. But I appreciate your thoughts and will share them with her. Thank you!
This is wonderful to hear. Thank you!
Both schools she’s considering are great and will prepare her well. One advantage to Case is that there is total flexibility for what your daughter might want to study. She can change her mind at any point and a lot of people there have double majors, minors, etc. Case does have a law school, so she’d be able to dip her toe in that water as an undergrad there.
I agree the pre-law school work is a very good idea. I worked with an environmental consulting firm and a couple environmental non-profits before attending law school. It helped solidify what I wanted and allowed me to be much more focused for externships and internships in law school, which allowed me to get a public interest fellowship immediately after law school.
Seems like environmental or civil engineering would be obviously applicable to most of her interests in water/soil/air quality, although biological/agricultural engineering would be applicable to the farming aspect of her interests.
I have an environmental science undergrad degree and an M.S. in environmental engineering. I’ve worked in a state government regulatory agency for over 20 years. I loved having a science degree and being able to do more science-y things like field work. Being in a regulatory agency, I also did a lot of policy and regulation development and worked in the enforcement program. If I would give any advice, it would be to take some time to work in the environmental field before law school. It will give your child a better feel for exactly what direction they want to go in. Law school may be in the cards, but it’s expensive so better to be sure. They might also enjoy public policy or pure science. I’d also keep in mind that not many environmental attorneys get rich, especially if they work in government. So keep debt to a minimum to allow for more flexibility in career choice. Good luck!
Excellent advice, thank you.
I majored in nuclear engineering and have a law degree. My goal in applying to law school was to focus on environmental law, particularly where environmental issues intersect the nuclear industry (the intersection is significant, going far beyond power plants to nuclear medicine, etc.). The point is that even in a relatively obscure niche of nuclear engineering, there are many opportunities to apply environmental law.
Further, I think virtually any type of engineering would have similar opportunities (although the above references to environmental engineering, civil engineering, etc. are more obvious (in a good way)). In fact, in my small law school class that was fairly highly focused on environmental law, I had four other classmates that had engineering degrees (a chemical, an environmental, and two civil).
It turns out that I never practiced environmental law, but had a relatively successful legal career before my current non-legal position. Having a science / engineering background was immensely helpful in law school for a host of reasons. I will also note that all 5 of us engineers in my law school class graded onto law review.
Finally, while I never had a case involving anything nuclear, or even engineering really, my undergrad degree was instrumental in getting my post grad appellate clerkship and my position at my second firm.
My point is that marrying a sciency / engineering degree with a law degree (with or without an environmental focus) will provide many future opportunities and provide a level of differentiation that many others will not have. Like anything else there are no guarantees in life, but this would tend to position your daughter well for any number of lucrative and interesting career outcomes.
It might be helpful to OP to know which law school you attended. Vermont Law School ? CU-Boulder ? Lewis & Clark ? Or ???
Did your law school have a separate Environmental Law Journal–or just Law Review ?
Thank you in advance for any reply.
I went to Vermont Law (although at the time I considered Lewis and Clark as VLS and L&C alternated as the #1 ranked environmental law program). There were several journals at the time at VLS, but I was specifically referencing the Vermont Law Review.
Note, to the OP, as it pertains to engineering and environmental law, at the time I was in law school there was a joint degree program between VLS and Dartmouth specifically involving environmental law (if I recall correctly upon completion of the program you received an engineering degree from Dartmouth and a MSEL degree from VLS). I have no idea if that program still exists as my law school days were many years ago.
Not sure if still accurate, but in the past the Environmental Law Journal at Lewis & Clark was the Law Review–which showed L&C’s focus on the area of Environmental Law.
Some interesting info.:
Also, to the OP, for what it is worth,while your daughter is still a long way from considering specific law schools and post law school careers, I am specifically highlighting some of the above posters’ comments re considering what type of law and career they want. Where you go will have some influence on career outcomes. For instance, at the time I was in law school, my school excelled at placing students in policy positions in DC federal departments and state govt positions. Much environmental law is policy, regulatory and administrative based and those skills carry over to most or many other types of law.
However, if they have a desire to practice environmental law representing companies, etc. a school like VLS (at least back in the day) is likely not the optimal choice. That is for a different thread.
My primary point, which I’ve seemed to have lost, is that I found that having an engineering degree was very helpful to have even though I never really used it in my daily practice.
Also, as a sidenote: Vermont Law School experienced financial difficulties recently and considered closing down.