Are Environmental Lawyers Cool?

Diana McCaulay JET - Jamaica

During a group discussion on media and communications at the ELAW Annual Meeting, Diana McCaulay, the unstoppable CEO of Jamaica Environment Trust, lamented that she’s not considered “cool” in Jamaica.  She explained that she has a hard time garnering interest in her work to protect coastal areas and reefs from the impacts of sprawling resort development -- perhaps, she wondered aloud, it is because she’s not cool.

We all laughed, perhaps a little nervously.

Are environmental lawyers cool?  The evidence would seem to point in the direction of a resounding “NO!”

We are frequently surrounded by big books and pages of densely-written laws.

We discuss renewable energy payments with great excitement to anyone who will listen.

We understand Latin terms for obscure judicial procedures.

But consider this: Public-interest environmental lawyers have put their passion first.  Whether it is love for the mountains or the sea, love for our communities, or love for our children, we are driven by passion to protect the environment.

Last month, my colleague Jen Gleason and I gave a presentation on “Defending the Defenders” at a symposium on human rights and the environment held at the University of Oregon School of Law.  We shared the unfortunate experiences of many of ELAW’s partners who have been victims of physical violence, subject to invasive searches of their offices and homes, or imprisoned on false or nonexistent criminal charges simply because they are working to protect communities’ rights to a clean and healthy environment.  It is passion that keeps these brave public interest lawyers moving forward through obstacles that most people would never even try to overcome.
Passion first.

To me, that’s cool.

What do you think?  Go to our blog and leave us a comment.
http://elawspotlight.wordpress.com/

Liz Mitchell
ELAW Staff Attorney