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Career profile
Meet Joana, an academic and a climate change lawyer.
Find out about Joana's career and how she considers the environment in what she does.
Joana: My name is Joana. I'm an academic and a climate change lawyer.
I'm an assistant professor working on climate change litigation I teach students about the law, advise law firms, companies, governments and banks on their strategy and do my own research writing documents that will try to influence policymakers.
I studied law at university in Brazil, then my first job as an environmental lawyer was in a large law firm. And at the time, I was defending corporate clients, oil companies that were involved in some environmental problem.
And that was a very fascinating experience because I could really understand their side of the story and the problems that they face in trying to comply with environmental legislation. It is possible to change from within.
And you can also change from without. So today I'm an academic and I study environmental legislation, and I know, for example, those laws that can hold those companies more accountable. And what types of laws established targets that these companies and governments can then pursue?
There's a lot that you can do to support environmental lawyers for litigation to be successful. You need the academics thinking of the strategies. You need campaigners, you need communication experts and scientists So it takes a village to file or defend one lawsuit.
If you're not doing a law degree, you can still be involved in climate law litigation. You can apply for legal apprenticeship to become a paralegal, chartered legal executive or a solicitor.
You can be a consultant in communications for an NGO or as a journalist who is specialised in climate, law and the environment. So I would recommend in your A-levels to be brought to study science, not just humanities. So physics, biology, this is all very useful for you to understand the current climate and environmental crisis.
You should also look into internships with NGOs with law firms, and that will give you a lot of experience while you're still studying.
Lastly, I would recommend that you write. You might not be able to publish in an academic journal, but you can write a blog and that will help you not just settle the information that you're reading, but to set your opinion to show that you have one that you are able to write and that you are interested in the topic.
The great thing about climate change law is that it is very applied and the potential for change is vast.
The great thing about climate change law is that it is very applied and the potential for change is vast.
Joana, assistant professor
- Joana studied environmental law at university. After graduating, she worked for a law firm whose clients included big corporations who faced legal cases brought against them.
- Joana is now an assistant professor working on climate change litigation. She teaches students and advises companies, banks and governments on their sustainability strategy.
- It takes a team of people from different industry backgrounds and with a range of skills to file or defend environmental legal cases. A law team will need to include academics, scientists, campaigners and communication experts if it wants to be successful.
Salary and hours
A lawyer is a general term for someone who gives legal advice. It is often used to describe solicitors, barristers, legal executives and others. The following information relates to a solicitor.
- Solicitor salary: £30,000 to £80,000 per year
- Solicitor working hours: 37 to 50 per week
Entry requirements
- You could do a solicitor degree apprenticeship to qualify as a solicitor. This route usually takes around five years and you'll need your employer's support to do it. To do this apprenticeship, you'll need five GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths and three A-levels (or equivalent) at grade C or above.
- You could start with a legal firm and do on-the-job training like the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) Level 6 Professional Diploma in Higher Law and Practice. You would then complete a period of further training to qualify as a solicitor.
- You could also do a law degree, then complete the postgraduate Legal Practice Course, or do a non-law degree, followed by the Common Professional Examination or Graduate Diploma in Law. To get into some universities, you'll need to pass the Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT). You'll usually need three A-levels or equivalent, or a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course.
This information is a guide (sources: LMI, National Careers Service)
Find out more on the Prospects website about the role of a solicitor.
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