Young Lawyer Rising Legal Talk Network

Environmental law is a dynamic field that evolves rapidly with new challenges as they emerge but also against the backdrop of the politics of state and federal administrations. Regulatory focus shifts from administration to administration and crisis to crisis, creating a challenging area of law for those who practice it.
 Our guest, David Mandelbaum, is a shareholder with the firm of Greenberg Traurig and has practiced environmental law since 1984. He’s seen a lot, from focusing on solid waste landfills decades ago to today’s challenges created by a changing climate. 
Legal procedures vary from state to state in addition to how the federal government oversees environmental issues, challenging practitioners to understand the law and the issues and the procedural process. Laws and statutes are in constant flux.
For newer lawyers, Mandelbaum says the constant changes in the field of environmental law level the playing field between experienced attorneys and those getting out of law school. Changes come so fast that a new lawyer who has studied the latest regulations and cases can be on equal footing with someone who has practiced in the field for decades. In this field, it’s never “the way we’ve always done it.”
If you’ve ever considered a career in environmental law, this discussion may open your eyes to new opportunities.
Resources:
“SEC Adopts Rules to Enhance and Standardize Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors,” SEC.gov
Superfunds and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
“EPA Imposes First National Limits On 'Forever Chemicals' In Drinking Water,” NBC news
Pennsylvania Environmental Law Forum 2024
Different Career Paths in Environmental Law
Nurturing the Future of Animal Law
American Bar Association on Environment, Energy, and Resources
American Bar Association
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Guest Evita Nwosu-Sylvester focuses on the civil rights and fair lending needs of middle- to low-income earners in their quest for affordable housing. She works in multifamily fair lending operations at Freddie Mac (the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.).
But Nwosu-Sylvester is also a fighter for rights, fair hiring needs, and workplace accommodation for those embracing disabilities.
Nwosu-Sylvester followed a nontraditional path to her legal career. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology with the goal of pursuing that field, focusing on helping people with disabilities. Then, the idea of putting a law degree to work in the field of disability and civil rights attracted her. Throughout her education, she worked to embrace her own disability – cerebral palsy – and learn how to live independently while making a difference.
In her legal career, Nwosu-Sylvester shows organizations that people with disabilities are capable, valuable contributors. Accommodation doesn’t have to be insurmountable or expensive, and Nwosu-Sylvester and her team regularly make themselves available to help organizations understand and develop neurodiversity policies and programs.
RESOURCES:
U.S. Department of Labor Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
ABA Commission on Disability Rights
The American Association of People With Disabilities
American Bar Association
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Guest Michael Kippins is a Boston-based civil rights attorney with Lawyers For Civil Rights. Driven by a desire to advocate for those too often left without robust representation, Kippins made the courageous jump from a big law setting to his civil rights practice and hasn’t looked back.
In one of his high-profile cases, Kippins is challenging what the suit describes as Harvard University’s system of admission bias toward “legacy” students and the harm that practice poses to communities, including first-generation students and students of color. 
During the episode, Kippins discusses the differences between civil rights law and his previous role in big law. From working with community groups to prioritizing public awareness of his cases, the range of skills required as a civil rights attorney is diverse and unique to the practice.
A career in civil rights litigation can be a labor of love and fulfill a passion. Hear how the work civil rights attorneys does make a difference in people’s lives. If you’ve been interested in pro bono work, if you’ve found something missing in another area of law, or if you’re simply curious about civil rights law, this is an episode you can’t miss.

Christina Gregg served as the associate producer on this episode of Young Lawyer Rising.
 
Resources:
Why I Became a Civil Rights Attorney 
ABA Civil Rights and Social Justice Section
Lawyers For Civil Rights
Lawyers For Civil Rights, Facebook  
Lawyers For Civil Rights, Email: office@lawyersforcivilrights.org
Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association
Boys & Girls Club of Boston
Newsweek, “Harvard Faces Another Legal Fight Over Its Admissions”
Reuters, “Harvard 'Legacy' Policy Challenged On Heels Of Affirmative Action Ruling”
SXSW Educational Seminar Week
American Bar Association
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Happy New Year, and what a year that was. Host Montana Funk sits down with Tamara Nash, chair of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, to review 2023 and share stories from listeners about the past year.
For listeners, it was a year of lessons learned. Learning how to separate work and life is difficult, but in one case, a young lawyer reported that an unexpected health issue forced her to learn what life’s about and that it’s OK to ask for help. Hear how she learned that being a good lawyer means being a healthy lawyer. Take care of yourself.
In another letter, a listener shares how, like our host, they moved to the United States and took on a career in law. Leaning on the resources of the American Bar Association and the state bar has proven crucial to success in a challenging field.
And it was a year of “back to normal” after those crazy COVID years. For young lawyers who worked through the pandemic, 2023 was a time to catch up on the training and mentoring they missed. Hear how a senior lawyer recognized that gap and redoubled efforts to help younger attorneys. Rebuild connections, professional and personal.
Young Lawyer Rising is more than a podcast; it’s a community. Draw inspiration from how others overcame life’s bumps during the past year. Embrace your professional colleagues and know that you’re never alone. Support is all around you.
 
Blair Hlinka served as the associate producer on this episode of Young Lawyer Rising.
 
Resources:
Thinking Like a Lawyer to Navigate the Challenges of Long COVID
Pushing Yourself Too Hard? Your Health and Wellness Matters
How to Make Your Law Firm See the Benefits of Bar Involvement
5 Tips for Mentoring and Managing Legal Interns
The Importance of Mentorship and Sponsorship in the Legal Profession
University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law
American Bar Association
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

It’s been said there are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. Guest Anthony DeRiso can help with one of them. He’s a tax attorney.
It may sound like a daunting career path, but it really isn’t, DeRiso says. It’s about helping people chart a course to a desired outcome. Being a transactional tax attorney makes you the “coach,” drawing up plans as teams of attorneys deal with contractual issues. Then, there are opportunities to help clients untangle IRS-related civil and criminal matters. And there are even opportunities to serve charitable, tax-exempt organizations.
From individual clients to corporations to charities, it’s about solving puzzles and finding solutions.
If you’ve never considered tax law as a specialty, what you hear from DeRiso might surprise you. Get some tips on how to get started, whether you’re in law school now or are already practicing.
Carneil Wilson served as the associate producer on this episode of Young Lawyer Rising.
RESOURCES:
United States Tax Court circuit schedule
Have You Considered a Career in Tax Law?
Do You Need Specialized Training to Practice Tax Law?
The Advanced Degrees and Certifications That Help New Lawyers Move Their Careers Forward
Tax Dispute Survival Guide
American Bar Association Section of Taxation
American Bar Association
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Professor Tony Ghiotto went from the battlefield to the classroom. He started his legal career in the Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps, and he explains how his career took him from Afghanistan to a law school classroom. 
Saddled with student debt, and after an unexpected meeting with a JAG representative, Ghiotto found himself in the Air Force. Within his first two weeks as a full member of the JAG, he was in the courtroom trying a case. 
There were pros and cons. Struggles included feeling overwhelmed and making mistakes early on, but the pros were getting a lot of courtroom experience in a hurry and learning on the job. From practicing law in a tent in Afghanistan to a boardroom in Washington, DC, “It made me grow up and gave me some direction,” Ghiotto says.
Thanks to the JAG, he practiced in multiple fields. One of his oddest cases involved a low-flying jet causing a cow to give birth prematurely. His criminal cases ranged from traffic tickets to reviewing wartime procedures and civilian casualties.
If you’ve ever considered starting a legal career in the military, this is a don’t-miss episode. (And, bonus, Ghiotto is open to mentoring any young lawyer considering a JAG career. Drop him a note). 
 
Stephen C. Dinkel served as the associate producer on this episode of Young Lawyer Rising.
 
Resources:
Why Should You Become a JAG Officer?
Army JAG Careers Provide Financial Incentives for Those Interested in Foregoing the Traditional Path
The Army Judge Advocate General’s Funded Legal Education Program
American Bar Association
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division
Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps
JAG School 
University of Illinois College of Law