Energy Law: Fueling a Dynamic Legal Career (21st Century Legal Career Series)

Build a legal career in one of the hottest 21st century practice areas!In his 21st Century Legal Career Series, Richard L. Hermann researches, evaluates, and predicts where the employment opportunities are and will be for law graduates. Volume 4, Energy Law: Fueling a Dynamic Legal Career, focuses on a powerhouse practice area, one that will be a central focus of legal concern for as far out as the eye can see. This booklet details how six factors, including energy independence and technological innovation, have transformed energy law from a niche practice confined to a narrow geographic area into a wide-ranging endeavor that has gone global. The energy law arena is a job-creating juggernaut and one that aspiring attorneys should carefully consider.Highlights include:How Do We Know That Energy Law is “Hot?” The Work Who Hires? JD Advantage Energy Jobs What Does It Pay? Future Prospects Breaking into Energy Law Finding Out About Jobs before Everyone Else Follow-Up 21st century energy practice is not confined to its traditional home among large law firms in Houston, Dallas, and Washington, DC. The “oil patch” has expanded far beyond Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Today, 20 states have a robust fossil fuel industry. In addition, renewables such as solar, wind, and biofuels are closing in on a nationwide presence.The dramatic emergence of cost-effective extraction technologies such as fracking and horizontal drilling, along with the rise of renewables, has vastly expanded the number of energy legal job opportunities. This is particularly true of some of the JD-Advantage jobs discussed in this booklet.Hermann focuses on what law students and lawyers need to know to break into this hot employment field.