A conference is helping attorneys use their legal skills to advance climate solutions. The Climate Pro Bono Bootcamp connects lawyers who want to donate their time to climate organizations that need legal help, Grist reported.
The two-day virtual event was created by Matthew Karmel, an environmental lawyer, and Stephanie Demetry, executive director of Green Pro Bono. After their first conference in 2024 exceeded expectations with 700 attendees, the event returned April 22-23.
"Every lawyer has skills that can help the climate. We've just gotta make the connections," said Karmel, who chairs the environmental and sustainability law practice group at Offit Kurman.
Many people think climate legal work only involves high-profile lawsuits against big polluters. However, climate organizations often need help with basic contracts, business formation, patent filings, and nonprofit advice.
Karmel has personally drafted software licensing agreements for sustainability platforms and helped with corporate contracts. These tasks don't require specialized environmental law knowledge — just basic legal skills that most attorneys already have.
The boot camp focused on two main areas: litigation and advocacy on the first day, followed by corporate and transactional work on the second. This helped lawyers see where their expertise fits into climate solutions.
"I joined [Green Pro Bono] three years ago, and every year since I've been there, there has been huge percentage growth in our network of attorneys who want to take on cases — but there's also a huge increase in the amount of clients and work that we actually have. So it's growing in a proportional rate, which is great," Demetry said.
After last year's conference, its network of available attorneys more than doubled and project placements increased by 53%.
The legal industry has a tradition of pro bono work. Many firms give credit for volunteering, making it easy for attorneys to contribute to causes they care about while maintaining their careers.
"You don't have to choose between a soulless job and a soulful job. Any job can be something that you bring your heart and soul to," Karmel noted.
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