environmental eng pursuing environmental law

[holycowbanana]

i guess im a little fickle about my situation. right now im at the crossroads whether or not to pursue law school.  my background is in civl eng and im currently applying for my MS in environmental eng for fall 09. my plan after that is to apply for law school and pursue environmental law.  the reason im applying for my masters is to make up my lacking 3.0 gpa that i have as an undergraduate (really hard classes at my school).

my emphasis has been in water quality and treatment as an civil eng. does anyone here on this forum work for an environmental law firm or is in law school specializing in environmental law? if so, do you like it? does having you environmental eng degree help with admissions at all into law school?

btw... im located in so cal. i don't know if that helps or not but i intend on practicing out here. i already have taken testmasters this past summer but postponed my real LSATs until im ready.

[t...]

Why the switch?

My advice to you, if you haven't already, is to really look into the type of environmental work you want to do, and the employment options in the areas you want to live and work.

[holycowbanana]

it's not a switch... i think its more like advancement into the field. instead of designing water treatment plants and gathering data about water quality, i want to take it a step further. as an engineer, we are very familiar to laws and regulations regarding water, air and hazardous waste. this has always inspire interest rather than designing and analyzing data for the rest of my life.

i just want to see how env law students like what they do. i value their personal and school experience because this is the path i want to take. so for all those env law students... let me hear what you have to say. i just want to be absolutely sure cuz NO one ever wants to be over 6 figures in DEBT.

[t...]

it's not a switch... i think its more like advancement into the field. instead of designing water treatment plants and gathering data about water quality, i want to take it a step further. as an engineer, we are very familiar to laws and regulations regarding water, air and hazardous waste. this has always inspire interest rather than designing and analyzing data for the rest of my life.

i just want to see how env law students like what they do. i value their personal and school experience because this is the path i want to take. so for all those env law students... let me hear what you have to say. i just want to be absolutely sure cuz NO one ever wants to be over 6 figures in DEBT.

Actually, I'm a prelaw 2+ years into the process. I haven't pulled the trigger because after speaking with a number of attorneys, friends in law school, and people in the environmental "sector" I've decided my time and energy would not be best spent pursuing environmental law.

My concerns were chiefly with debt. Most large firms represent energy companies or corporations. Most government work is rather tough to get. Most public interest jobs are both hard to get and low paying. I'm an ideologue and I'm risk averse, so...

My advice is, again, just talk to as many people as you can. This thread is a good start. The poster Matthias is doing water law, he can be a great resource (and he really is). But actually get out and talk to people that are now doing what you soon want to be. See if it's in line with your own goals. 

[Alecto]

don't do a grad program to bring up your GPA -- most law schools will barely glance at your GGPA.  the main determinant in your likelihood of admission is your UGPA+LSAT combo.  you're just going to get more debt through the grad program (speaking from experience, even if you get tuition remission and a stipend).  my advice would be to bust your butt studying for the LSAT and take it October and apply for 2009.  If  you need to, you can always take it again in December.  If you do well on the LSAT (160+), then your 3.0 UGPA shouldn't hold you back too much.  If you're going into environmental law, then there's no point in aiming for a super-expensive t25 anyway.  Find a good all-around law school with a good environmental focus, and go to one that will either give you a substantial scholarship or in-state tuition.