Career Development and Employment Opportunities

Attorneys having earned Pace’s J.D. and LL.M. degrees are employed in a range of environmental law positions. Pace’s courses, clinics and co-curricular work for centers and projects ably prepare J.D. and LL.M. graduates to pursue careers in environmental law. Pace University School of Law provides an active placement program. The Career Development Office administers a Fall on-campus interview program and maintains listings of available job opportunities for both J.D. and Environmental LL.M. candidates. The Pace Environmental Law Society hosts a mentoring dinner to introduce all interested students to practitioners in environmental law. Counseling on resume and cover letter preparation and on interviewing techniques as job search strategies is available. In addition, the environmental law faculty maintains information regarding employment opportunities in environmental law. Students work with the environmental law faculty on placement within their interest and backgrounds.

Pace graduates today work as environmental lawyers in government agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in the environmental law departments of private firms, and with environmental citizen organizations. Other graduates apply their advanced specialized knowledge to the full-time practice of environmental law with the offices of corporate house counsel, and some have moved into corporate administrative positions, such as management of environmental compliance. Both Pace J.D. and LL.M. alumni are an important network of environmental law specialists nation-wide, and participate actively in Pace alumni programs, including Pace’s attractive continuing legal education offerings in environmental law to maintain their specializations. Virtually all of the international candidates for the LL.M. have returned to their home countries or joined international agencies to practice their environmental law specialization. Pace has provided post-graduate education to four Professors of Law in U.S. law schools.

To increase employer familiarity with Pace and its environmental programs on a national level, the Career Development Office communicates by mail to national and large regional law firms, companies and public sector organizations. Employers in such diverse geographic locations as California, Colorado, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Illinois have enthusiastically responded to Pace’s Career Development Office.

Pace’s Career Development Office provides a variety of services and programs that assist students in career planning and search. The Assistant Dean for Career Development reaches out to various organizations and employers in order to increase employment opportunities while providing counseling and programs on campus. The Career Development Office produces a monthly bulletin which contains job listings for all School of Law alumni. The bulletin is available free of charge to all interested graduates. The Office also maintains a telephone hot-line service which updates the listings weekly.

Environmental Law Alumni Advisory Council

The Environmental Law Alumni Advisory Council is a group of alumni/ae of the Law School dedicated to advancing and supporting the environmental law programs at Pace. 

The Council has contributed to the success of several other fund-raising events, such as the program honoring Edith Read that established an advocacy fund in her name. The Council also sponsored and contributed to the welcome breakfast for incoming environmental law students this Fall. Council members provide expertise and support for the Environmental Moot Court and are currently exploring other ways, in addition to fundraising, for the Council to help and support the environmental law program. Activities being considered include mentoring students, advising on career development, aiding recruitment and networking.