Interestingly enough, it was Professor Freyfogle who asked the interview s first question. Embarrassed by my lack of knowledge of the subject, I was forced to admit that I knew very little about the field of environmental law and the practice of law in general. Smiling knowingly, Professor Freyfogle assured me that this was the case with many students and then proceeded to describe the subject. Practicing environmental law is only slightly different from practicing other types of law. The vast majority of law is practiced in the area of business.
Some lawyers handle litigations that is, trials and courtroom work.
Other lawyers handle transactional work involving things such as contracts and real estate. Some environmental lawyers are heavily involved in the litigation process whereas others never see the courtroom. Evidently, environmental law is a very versatile field of practice. Some environmental lawyers work for government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, filing law-suits against polluters and other violators of environmental law. I was particularly interested to learn that many environmental lawyers worked for business clients that sometimes hurt the environment with their practices.