She didn't wait for a partner to assign her a niche.
She wrote a business plan and pitched one.
Meet SJ Beaumont, a London-based lawyer, also admitted in New York, who built her practice at the cutting edge of climate: where energy meets technology.
1/ She found the intersection.
SJ started as a corporate M&A lawyer at a firm headquartered in Houston, so energy work surrounded her. When new management leaned into technology, she did that work too. Then 2021 hit — crypto, blockchain, ESG, data centers, all colliding at once. "I thought, this is my time," she says. So she built a practice in the gap between the two.
2/ She learned to ask — from the Americans.
"I've had many opportunities where I thought I deserved that, I wanted that. But I'm not sure I really made it clear." Her years in New York rewired her. The British, she says, are taught to be reserved. Americans champion themselves out loud. So she stopped hinting and started pitching — a business plan to the firm, requests to speak at conferences, asks for the projects she wanted. Most got a yes.
3/ Then she went back to school to sharpen the rest.
Mid-career, she did a master's in finance at a New York business school. She was the only lawyer in the room, which meant she was always the one giving the presentation. When she came back to London and went in-house at a Macquarie offshore wind platform, the commercial muscle paid off — in-house counsel writes to the C-suite, not in beautiful private-practice memos.
SJ is pragmatic about the work ahead. She doesn't think traditional energy is going anywhere soon, and she's blunt about the activists who do. But she's clear on the lawyer's role: build the legal frameworks that make the transition real, methane reduction included.
I had a great conversation with her about climate careers, the energy transition, and what she'd tell lawyers trying to build a practice on their own terms.
Read the full interview here.
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.
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Project Development Associate. Latham & Watkins. Houston, TX. Experience: Not specified. Salary: $225,000 - $435,000.
Partner or Of Counsel – Energy & Utilities. Downey Brand. Multiple Locations. Experience: Not specified. Salary: $300,000 – $800,000.
Energy Project Finance Associate. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. Houston. Experience: 1-2 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Energy & Infrastructure - Tax Associate. Orrick. Multiple US Locations. Experience: 6 months. Salary range: $225,000 – $235,000.
Associate, Energy & Infrastructure. Orrick. Multiple Locations. Experience: 2+ yrs. Salary range: $260,000 – $435,000.
Energy/Project Finance Associate (Junior-Level). Winston Taylor. Los Angeles, CA. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $235,000
Associate, Corporate - Environment, Land & Resources. Latham & Watkins. New York, NY. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $225,000 - $435,000.
Associate, Energy & Infrastructure (M&A). Orrick. Multiple US Locations. Experience: 2+ yrs. Salary range: $260,000 – $435,000.
Environmental Attorney. FBT Gibbons. Cincinnati, OH. Experience: 2-5 yrs. Salary: $170,000-$200,000.
Project Attorney, Transactions. Orrick. Wheeling, WV. Experience: 2-6 yrs. Salary: $90,000 - $135,000.
Energy & Climate Solutions Associate. Wilson Sonsini. Washington, DC. Experience: 2-6 yrs. Salary: $235,000 - $390,000.
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 & Infrastructure Finance Associate. Sidley. Multiple Locations. Experience: 3+ yrs. Salary: $310,000 - $445,000.
Energy & Infrastructure Transactional Midlevel Associate Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. Houston. Experience: 3-4 yrs. Salary: Not specified.
Energy & Infrastructure - Mid-Level Environmental Associate. Orrick. Multiple Locations. Experience: 3-5 yrs. Salary: $240,000 - $435,000.
Environmental Associate. Robinson+Cole. Multiple Locations. Experience: 3-5 yrs. Salary: $195,000 - $210,000.
Energy Project Finance Associate. 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.
Renewable Energy Tax Credit Associate. Husch Blackwell. Multiple Locations. Experience: 4-6 yrs. Salary: $215,000 - 265,000 (depending on location).
Energy & Climate Solutions Associate. Wilson Sonsini. Multiple Locations. Experience: 4-8 yrs. Salary: $310,000 - $435,000.
Environmental and Natural Resources Attorney. Hanson Bridgett. Multiple Locations. Experience: 6 yrs. Salary: $255,000 - $275,000.
Energy & Climate Solutions/Tax Associate. Wilson Sonsini. Multiple Locations. Experience: 6+ yrs. Salary: $390,000 – $435,000.
Senior Environmental Attorney. Allen Matkins. Multiple Locations. Experience: 7-10 yrs. Salary range: $315,000-345,000.
Legal Counsel-Commercial Contracts. Phoenix Tailings. Exeter, NH. Experience: Not Specified. Salary: $130,000- $180,000 total cash compensation plus equity.
Associate General Counsel, Energy and Infrastructure. Hut 8. Miami, FL. Experience: Not Specified. Salary: Not Specified.
Commercial Counsel. Sargent Electric Company. Pittsburgh, PA. Experience: Not Specified. Salary: Not Specified.
General Counsel. Montera. Remote/Hybrid. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $260,000 - $350,000.
Global Senior Public Interest Law Counsel. TikTok. New York, NY. Experience: Not Specified. Salary: $210600 - $390400.
Managing Counsel DACHF – Wind. Vernova Healthcare. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: Not Specified. Salary: Not Specified.
Legal Director, EMEA Employment Law. Lime. Multiple Locations (Hybrid). Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Compliance & Employee Relations Partner. Archer. Remote. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $130,800 - $163,500.
Legal Counsel - EPC and O&M. Scatec Solar. Cape Town, WC, ZA. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Transactions Counsel. Pattern Energy. Multiple Locations (Hybrid). Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Corporate Counsel. Factorial Energy. Billerica, MA. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $200,000 – $220,000.
Asset Based Finance US Deal Counsel. Sixth Street. New York, NY. Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: Expected to be $250,000.
Associate General Counsel (Project Finance). Apex Clean Energy. Charlottesville, VA. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Commercial Legal Lead. Mantel. Boston, MA. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Associate, Environmental Permitting. Clearway Energy Group. San Francisco, CA. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $108,000 - $144,000.
Associate Counsel II - Environmental. SoCalGas. Los Angeles, CA. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $55.53 - $87.74 / hour.
Associate General Counsel (Project Finance). Apex Clean Energy. Charlottesville, VA (Remote considered). Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Associate General Counsel. Apex Clean Energy. Charlotte, NC. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Procurement/Commercial Counsel. EnergyX. Austin, TX. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Associate Corporate Attorney (6163). Anew Climate. Houston, TX. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Associate Counsel, Project Finance. NineDot Energy. Brooklyn, NY (Hybrid). Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $165,000 - $175,000 plus bonus and incentive stock options.
Attorney / Senior Attorney (Commercial Law) | Palo Verde. APS. Phoenix, AZ (Hybrid). Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Corporate Counsel, Capital Markets. Palmetto. Charlotte, NC. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Counsel II - Commercial Operations. Alliant Energy. Cedar Rapids, IA. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $135,000 - $177,000.
Counsel II - Cyber & Privacy. Alliant Energy. Cedar Rapids, IA. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $135,000 - $177,000.
IT Legal Counsel. Energy Transfer Family of Partnerships. Dallas, TX. Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Assistant General Counsel. DATTCO. Hartford, CT. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Counsel. Generate. New York, NY. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $200,000 – $275,000.
Senior Counsel - Commercial. ClimeCo. Houston, Texas. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $140,000 to $170,000.
Legal Counsel - Environmental and Remediation. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Akron, OH. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Associate General Counsel or Sr. AGC (HR/Generalist Attorney). Hawaiian Electric. Honolulu, Oahu. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $119,500 - $179,600.
Assistant City Attorney - Environmental Focused. City of Springfield. Springfield, MO. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: $89,960.00 - $157,102.40.
Commercial Lending Attorney (SVP). Climate First Bank. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Corporate Attorney. SunEnergy1. Charlotte, NC. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Corporate Counsel, Environmental Health and Safety Legal. Amazon. Multiple Locations. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: 153,900.00 - 208,200.00 USD annually.
Corporate Counsel, Sustainability. Amazon. Multiple Locations. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: 153,900.00 - 229,000.00 USD annually.
Counsel. Quanta Infrastructure Solutions Group. Birmingham, AL. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Counsel, Securities and Corporate Governance. Plains GP Holdings. Houston, TX. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Government Contracts Counsel. Aecon. Charlotte, NC. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Large Projects Counsel. Quanta Infrastructure Solutions Group. Multiple Locations. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Lead Counsel, Ford Energy. Ford. Multiple Locations (Hybrid). Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Senior Counsel, General Legal Services. Verra Mobility. Mesa, AZ. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Senior Legal Counsel. Type One Energy. Knoxville, TN (Hybrid). Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Highly Competitive.
Sr Counsel. NiSource. Multiple Locations. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: $160,100.00 - $240,100.00.
Sr Project Finance Attorney. NextEra Energy. Multiple Locations. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
SR. LEGAL COUNSEL, LABOR & EMPLOYMENT. Repsol. Houston, TX (Hybrid). Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Counsel. Energy Northwest. Richland, WA. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: $122,681 - $243,412.
AGC Compliance Officer. NextDecade. Houston, TX. Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Corporate Counsel. Electra. Denver, CO. Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: $185,000-$215,000.
Legal Director. Scale Microgrid Solutions. New York, NY / Ridgewood, NJ. (Hybrid) Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Senior Corporate Counsel - Construction. CleanSpark. Atlanta, Georgia. Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: $250,000 a year.
Assistant General Counsel - Marketing & Trading. Chesapeake Energy. Houston, TX. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Assistant General Counsel: Impact Finance: Infrastructure. U.S. Bank National Association. Atlanta, GA. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $170,255.00 - $200,300.00.
Legal Counsel, Litigation. Sunrun. San Francisco, CA. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $217,477.41 to $289,969.87.
Senior Corporate Counsel - Environmental Litigation & Regulatory. Republic Services. Phoenix, AZ. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Senior Counsel. Mainspring Energy. Remote. Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $212,000 - $250,000.
Assistant General Counsel. Arxada. Princeton, NJ. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: 225,000 USD to 275,000 USD.
Assistant General Counsel. BWXT. Multiple Locations. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $207,000 - $271,000.
Associate General Counsel - Energy. Rowan Digital Infrastructure. Denver, CO Office; Remote; Seattle, WA Office, Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $190 - $230 (Offers Bonus).
Corporate Counsel. Integrated Water Services. Austin, TX (Remote). Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $160k-210k.
Counsel – Securities and Governance. Bloom Energy. San Jose, CA. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $209,100.00 - $300,900.00.
Director, Legal Commercial Operations (U.S.) (Regulatory Focus). Circle K. Charlotte, NC. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
General Counsel. Gotion, Inc.. Multiple Locations. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $200,000 - $300,000 USD.
Managing Tax Counsel. NextEra Energy. Juno Beach, FL. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Senior Corporate Counsel. esVolta. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Sr. Counsel, Energy Products. Tesla. Multiple Locations. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $212,000 - $342,000.
Assistant General Counsel. Michael Baker International. Cleveland, OH (Hybrid). Experience: 12 yrs. Salary: $174,000-$329,000.
Deputy General Counsel, Litigation. Enovix. San Francisco, CA. Experience: 15 yrs. Salary: $200,000-$350,000.
Sr. Director Construction Counsel. Bloom Energy. San Jose, CA. Experience: 15 yrs. Salary: $246,800.00 - $355,200.00.
Assistant Attorney General - Conservation. Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General. Oklahoma City. Tulsa, OK. Experience: Not Specified. Salary: Commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Assistant General Counsel I, II, III - Environmental/Regulatory. Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Cleveland, OH (Hybrid). Experience: 0 yrs. Salary: From $89,945 to $171,785.
Senior Associate General Counsel. Natural Resources Defense Council. Multiple Locations (Hybrid). Experience: 8 yrs. Salary: $180,000 to $200,000.
Senior Assistant Attorney General. State of Wyoming. Cheyenne, WY. Experience: Not Specified. Salary: $6,903.87 - $11,507.60.
Staff Attorney 15/16 - Environment, Natural Resources, and Environment Services Division. State of Michigan. Lansing, MI. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: $33.53 - $71.64 Hourly.
Attorney-U-E-000006553. BOCC. Tampa, FL. Experience: 1 yrs. Salary: $75,000.00 - $110,000.00.
Deputy County Counsel III/IV. County of Riverside. Riverside, CA. Experience: 1 yrs. Salary: $137,000.00 - $214,964.00 Annually.
Oceans Staff Attorney. Center for Biological Diversity. Multiple Locations (Remote). Experience: 3 yrs. Salary: $72,500 - $89,500.
PUCT, Attorney (Attorney II - IV). State of Texas. Austin, TX. Experience: 2 yrs. Salary: 7,350.00 - 10,938.00.
Assistant General Counsel. DATTCO. Hartford, CT. Experience: 4 yrs. Salary: Not Specified.
Counsel III. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boston, MA. Experience: 6 yrs. Salary: 105,503.58 - 153,846.94.
Senior Counsel. Battery Park City Authority. New York, NY. Experience: 6 yrs. Salary: $160,000.00 To $180,000.00.
Assistant General Counsel. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boston, MA (Hybrid). Experience: 5 yrs. Salary: 100,839.08 - 155,529.95.
Two-Year Project Attorney, Healthy States Project. Earthjustice. Multiple Locations (Hybrid/Remote). Experience: 7 yrs. Salary: $166,700 - $217,100.
Alaska State Director. The Wilderness Society. Anchorage, AK. Experience: 10 yrs. Salary: $120,000-$130,000.
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