Does climate pro bono even make a difference?

People often ask me whether climate pro bono really makes a difference.

They look at the headlines and think... what’s the point?

Things are getting worse… right?

I’ve felt that too.

But I’ve come to see it differently.

I know I’m making a difference.

Not because I’m solving climate change, but because I’m doing work that matters.

I feel its impact on myself, and I see the impact on the people I help.

So, I ignore the headlines.

And focus on what I can do.

I also see so many of you doing the same.

Maybe none of us will solve everything on our own.

But collectively, our work adds up.

And at the very least, we can say this:

If you’re looking for a way to contribute, our Climate Pro Bono Bootcamp is a great place to start.

We’ll show you how to use your existing skills to do pro bono that benefits the planet.

So join us virtually on April 28.

Secure your spot now!

Hi! I’m Matthew Karmel, founder of the planetary lawyer project and Chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Law Group at Offit Kurman. (Any views expressed are my own. Nothing here is legal advice.)

I started my career as an associate with a single pro bono climate client and am now the head of a cutting edge climate-focused practice group at a full-service AMLaw 200 law firm.

I started this newsletter to help you build your own climate-friendly legal career by sharing hard-won lessons from my own career, short interviews with other climate-focused lawyers, legal developments, and relevant job opportunities.

This week’s issue is sponsored by Green Pro Bono, a nonprofit that matches lawyers with climate-related pro bono work. There are such a wide range of opportunities for lawyers that want to have an impact to collaborate with Green Pro Bono. Click here to get involved and start doing pro bono climate work.

Now, look no further for insights on all things climate, as well as resources from our sponsors!

• Check out the full agenda for the climate pro bono bootcamp!

• Judge Dismisses Trump Admin’s Bid to Block Climate Lawsuit

• Addressing the climate crisis is becoming a legal obligation

• NAACP Sues xAI for Illegal Pollution from Data Center Power Plant

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Partner or Of Counsel – Energy & Utilities. Downey Brand. Multiple locations. Experience: Not specified. Salary: $300,000 – $800,000.

Associate, Energy & Infrastructure. Orrick. Multiple US offices. Experience: 2+ yrs. Salary range: $260,000 – $435,000.

Associate, Energy & Infrastructure (M&A). Orrick. Multiple US offices. Experience: 2+ yrs. Salary range: $260,000 – $435,000.

Associate, Environmental Transactional. Proskauer. New York. Experience: 2-4 yrs. Salary range: $215,000- 415,000.

Junior/Mid-Level Associate, Environmental. Proskauer. New York. Experience: 2-4 yrs. Salary range: $215,000- 415,000.

Project Attorney, Transactions. Orrick. Wheeling, WV. Experience: 2-6 yrs. Salary: $90,000 - $135,000.

Energy & Infrastructure Associate. Orrick. Multiple Locations. Experience: 2-9 yrs. Salary: $240,000 - $435,000.

Energy, Transportation & Infrastructure Associate. Sidley. Multiple Locations. Experience: 3+ yrs. Salary: $310,000 - $445,000.

Energy Project Finance Associate. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. Multiple Locations. Experience: 3-5 yrs. Salary: $260,000-$365,000.

Environmental Associate Attorney. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. Multiple Locations. Experience: 3-5 yrs. Salary: $260,000-$365,000.

Associate, Land Use. Cox Castle. San Francisco. Experience: 3-5 yrs. Salary Range: $220,000 - $260,000.

Projects Associate (M&A/Dev). Norton Rose Fulbright. Multiple Locations. Experience: 3-6 yrs. Salary $260,000- $420,000.

Energy and Infrastructure - Offtake/PPA Associate. Orrick. Multiple Locations. Experience. 3-9 yrs. Salary: $260,000 - $435,000.

Energy Regulatory Associate. Husch Blackwell. Austin, TX. Experience: 4-6 yrs. Salary: Not specified.

Energy Transactional Project Development Associate. Troutman Pepper Locke. Multiple Locations. Experience 4-7 yrs. Salary: $295,000 - $370,000.

Energy and Infrastructure Midlevel Associate. Morgan Lewis. Multiple Locations. Experience: 4-5 yrs. Salary: $225,000 - $435,000.

Senior Associate Attorney – Energy & Utilities. Downey Brand. Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA. Experience: 5-8 yrs. Salary: $195,000 - $256,000.

Energy & Climate Solutions/Tax Associate. Wilson Sonsini. Multiple Locations. Experience: 6+ yrs. Salary: $390,000 – $435,000.

Environmental Attorney. FBT Gibbons. Newark, NJ. Experience: 6+ yrs. Salary: $195,000-$210,000.

Land Use & General Government Advice Attorney. Renne Public Law Group, Sacramento and San Francisco. Experience: 6-10 yrs. Salary range: $220,000 - $250,000.

Senior Environmental Attorney. Allen Matkins. Multiple Locations. Experience: 7-10 yrs. Salary range: $315,000-345,000.

Patent Attorney. Enovix. San Francisco, CA (Hybrid). Experience: 1 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Legal Counsel. Kaluza. London, UK (Hybrid). Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: £90,000 - £113,000.

Principal Project Finance Attorney. NextEra Energy. Multiple Locations. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Legal Associate - Energy, Infrastructure & Project Finance. Investec. New York, NY (Hybrid). Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $150,000 – $200,000 + bonus.

Counsel. Energy Northwest. Richland, WA. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $122,681 - $243,412.

Senior Counsel. Lummus Technology. Houston, TX. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Real Estate Counsel. Unison Infrastructure. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $150,000 - $250,000.

Corporate Counsel, Commercial. Zoox. Foster City, CA. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $188,000 - $226,000.

Sr Project Finance Attorney. NextEra Energy. Multiple Locations. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Land Use & Real Estate Counsel. Zipline. San Francisco, CA. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: $160,000 - $200,000.

Lead Counsel, Ford Energy. Ford Motor Company. Detroit, MI (Hybrid). Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Legal Counsel - Energy and Water. Texas Instruments. Dallas, TX. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Sr. Legal Counsel. Canadian Solar. Multiple Locations. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: $195,000 - $250,000 + annual bonus.

Legal Counsel, Risk & Compliance. Crusoe. Denver, CO. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: $204,000 -$255,000+ Bonus.

Senior Counsel, Transactions. New Leaf Energy. Multiple Locations (Hybrid). Experience: 6 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Counsel - Capital Projects and Maintenance. ITC Holdings Corp. Cedar Rapids, IA. Experience: 6 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Senior Regulatory Counsel. IGS Energy. Ohio (Remote). Experience: 6 yrs. Salary: $110,850.00 - $177,360.00.

Senior Legal Counsel – Development and Real Estate. Repsol. Houston, TX (Hybrid). Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Senior Counsel, Trade Compliance. PHINIA. Detroit, MI. Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Senior Commercial Counsel. Kaluza. London, UK (Hybrid). Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: £120,000 - £140,000.

Environmental Regulatory Counsel. 3M. Multiple Locations. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $221,591 - $270,834.

Legal Counsel, Intellectual Property. Crusoe. San Francisco, CA. New York, NY. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $218,000 -$273,000+ Bonus.

Sr Tax Counsel. NextEra Energy. Juno Beach, FL. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Assistant General Counsel. Circular Services. Austin, TX. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $200,000.00 To $240,000.00.

Assistant General Counsel, Transactions. KoBold Metals. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: 9 yrs. Salary: $210,000 - $280,000.

Assistant General Counsel - Environmental. Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. Phoenix, AZ. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $220K - $280K.

Lead Assistant General Counsel. Xcel Energy. Austin, TX. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $240,000 to $278,000.

General Counsel. Montera Infrastructure. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

General Counsel, Americas. LRQA. New York, NY. Houston, TX (Hybrid). Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $222,200–$232,000.

Assistant General Counsel. Enovix. San Francisco, CA. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $200,000 to $300,000.

Director Global Labor and Employment Counsel. ChargePoint. Campbell, CA. Experience: 12 yrs. Salary: $190,000 to $290,000.

Business Unit Lead Counsel, Manufacturing Operations. Rayonier. Atlanta, GA. Experience: 12 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Country Corporate Counsel US. ABB. Raleigh, NC (Hybrid). Experience: 12 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Associate General Counsel. Mitsubishi Power Americas. Lake Mary, FL. Experience: 15 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

Associate General Counsel. South Jersey Industries. Folsom, NJ. Experience: 15 yrs. Salary: $190,000- $220,000.

General Counsel / Deputy GC. Generate Capital. Francisco, CA. New York, NY. Experience: 15 yrs. Salary: $325,000–$400,000.

Assistant Attorney General - State Services (PUC). State of Colorado. Denver, CO (Hybrid). Experience: Not Specified. Salary: $88,197-$136,558.

Fall 2026 Community-Centered Advocacy Internship. Earthjustice. San Francisco, CA (Remote). Experience: Not Specified. Salary: $35.20/hour.

Assistant Counsel NS-25. Department of Public Service - New York State. Albany, NY. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $96336 - $121413/Annually.

Electricity and Wildfire Policy Legal Fellow. Stanford University. Stanford, CA (Hybrid). Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $85,376-$99,581 per annum.

Assistant City Attorney Senior. City of Gresham. Gresham, OR. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $129,396.00 - $168,167.00/ Annually.

Attorney III. State of North Carolina. North Carolina. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $99,216 - $103,184.

Attorney. NRDC. Multiple Locations (Hybrid). Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $124,000 to $140,000.

Attorney: Civil Litigator (3866). Office of the Attorney General - New York State. Buffalo, NY. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $83,594 - $178,463.

Deputy City Attorney - Environmental Litigation. City of Portland. Portland, OR. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $132,891.20 - $187,470.40.

Director of Western Water. Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: $125,000-135,000.

Attorney - Wildlands and Wildlife Program Attorney. Western Environmental Law Center. Multiple Locations (Hybrid/Remote). Experience: 6 yrs. Salary: $85,000 – $110,000.

Associate General Counsel (Environmental and Energy). Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. Boston, MA. Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: $170,000.00 - $173,000.00.

Staff Attorney IV - Environmental Litigation. State of Vermont. Montpelier, VT. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $46.37- $64.47/Hourly.

Deputy Managing Attorney, Clean Energy Program. Earthjustice. Multiple Locations. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $207,500 - $230,500.

Executive Director. Coastal Conservation League. Charleston, SC. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.

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