Lawyer

Job Details

Sector(s)

Component Manufacturing & Research & Development; Project Development; Construction; Operations & Maintenance

Median Pay

$127,990 per year

$61.54 per hour

Job Type

Mid-Level

Typical Entry-Level
Education and Work
Experience
Requirements

Law (J.D.) degree; little to no experience required

Alternate Titles

Lawyer with maritime, energy, intellectual property, or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission experience, advocate, advisor, attorney, environmental lawyer, and maritime lawyer.

Brief Job Description

Lawyers advise and represent many different people and groups involved in the marine energy industry on legal issues and disputes. 

Education and Training Level Description

Typically, lawyers complete a bachelor’s degree, followed by a three-year law program to fulfill the necessary education requirements to become a lawyer. To work as a lawyer in the United States, most states and jurisdictions mandate that all lawyers hold a juris doctorate (J.D.) degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school and pass the bar exam in the state(s) in which they plan to work. After passing the bar exam, lawyers are licensed to legally practice law in the state(s) in which they have passed the exam. Employers typically value experience, so law students often work as interns or summer associates at law firms or legal divisions of governmental agencies before graduating. 

Maritime lawyers specialize in providing legal advice on issues in open, navigable waters (such as oceans, rivers, and lakes). Maritime lawyers generally take maritime-specific courses during law school or gain experience through work outside of school. Maritime lawyers must also have a strong understanding of international, federal, and state laws. As maritime lawyers advance, they may specialize in specific areas of maritime law, including marine insurance, pollution, employment, or others.

Job Profile

Lawyers will be used across the marine energy field to advise and represent a wide variety of individuals, businesses, and organizations involved in or impacted by the industry. Lawyers work with clients to design agreements between different groups and prevent or resolve legal issues and disputes.

Maritime Lawyers specialize in providing legal advice on issues regarding open, navigable waters (such as oceans, lakes, and rivers). Maritime Lawyers represent clients in legal matters involving marine insurance, ensure clients adhere to various local to international regulations, and develop agreements between marine energy project stakeholders, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, other federal and state agencies, developers, coastal communities, and utilities.

As the marine energy industry develops, the demand for maritime lawyers will grow. In the marine energy industry, lawyers will provide guidance for people, businesses, and organizations involved or impacted by marine energy projects, including developers, investors, utilities, project owners, and coastal communities. Maritime layers will help keep their clients updated on existing and future policies that could impact the client. In project development stages, they will assist developers with complex offshore and near-shore permitting and the associated conflicts that arise between stakeholders involved with or impacted by marine energy installations. During the construction stage, maritime lawyers will help offshore construction contractors and subcontractors protect themselves from lawsuits associated with construction accidents and issues.

Maritime lawyers may work for private or corporate legal offices; law firms; federal, local, or state governments; or as independent contractors.

Lawyers working in the marine energy space typically: 

  • Support land leasing and acquisition as well as permitting for marine energy projects with state, federal, and local agencies
  • Liaise with key decision makers and policymakers and organizations
  • Mediate conflicts between marine energy developers, coastal communities, and other marine industries
  • Protect the knowledge that projects produce as marine energy companies develop new technologies and business models
  • Assist companies with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission applications
  • Inform clients of, and ensure clients adhere to, tax laws and other financial regulations associated with marine energy projects
  • Assist technology startups to establish their business
  • Help clients in navigating issues arising under U.S. laws and international maritime laws
  • Protect marine energy construction contractors and subcontractors from legal action associated with accidents.

Job Skills

Lawyers working in the marine energy space typically need:

  • Analytical skills. Lawyers must be able to analyze large amounts of information, determine relevant facts, and propose viable solutions.
  • Interpersonal skills. By developing a trusting relationship with their clients and making them feel at ease to discuss sensitive information about their cases, lawyers can gain their clients' respect and confidence.
  • Problem-solving skills. Lawyers must set aside their feelings and biases in order to examine the difficulties of their clients in an objective manner. To prepare the most satisfactory defense and recommendations for their clients, lawyers must have strong problem-solving abilities.
  • Research skills. To give their clients the right legal advice, lawyers must be able to locate the laws and regulations that are relevant to a specific situation.
  • Speaking skills. As they are speaking on behalf of their clients, lawyers must be able to concisely convey and explain their argument to arbitrators, mediators, opposing parties, judges, or juries.
  • Writing skills. Lawyers need to be precise and clear when preparing legal documents for the perusal of their clients.

More Information, Job Opportunities, etc.

For more information on legal protection jobs in the marine sector, see: 

Resources