Also called: Environmental Attorney
Works on cases about pollution, endangered species, clean water, and climate rules.
Some environmental lawyers sue polluters for nonprofits; others help companies follow the rules. A day might include reading air-quality data, writing comments on a new EPA rule, or touring a site where a river was contaminated. Science classes come in handy.
Nonprofit roles pay less; private and federal roles pay more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 7 years after high school. Bachelor's in any subject, then a 3-year Juris Doctor (JD) and passing the state bar exam.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Political Science, Geology.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). BLS projection for all lawyers (2024-34).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI digests permits and scientific reports; field fact-finding, litigation strategy and negotiating with agencies stay human.
Classes: AP Environmental Science, AP U.S. Government, Biology or Chemistry, Speech and debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.