A new target for a U.S. law student group critical of law firms that represent fossil fuel clients is law schools that send a high proportion of graduates into the service of the fossil fuel industry. Law Students for Climate Accountability released a report identifying law schools with the most graduates working for energy industry clients at law firms. The group urged these schools to steer fewer students into high-paid law and lobbying jobs serving fossil fuel companies and instead increase financial aid and support for students pursuing alternative careers. According to the report, the top 20 law schools in the U.S. produce almost half of the fossil fuel lawyers in the country. According to the report, the University of Texas School of Law, the University of Virginia School of Law, and Yale Law School had the highest proportion of alumni working on fossil fuel matters. The report said that top-ranked law schools are structured as "pipelines" into sizeable corporate law firms, adding that high law school debt also drives students into large firms, where starting pay hovers around $200,000.
While Law Students for Climate Accountability has previously focused on pressuring law firms to stop representing fossil fuel clients, the group has now adopted a new tactic by targeting law schools. Co-founder Tim Hirschel-Burns explained that they understand law firms operate within a larger ecosystem and that law schools play a crucial role in creating incentives that encourage students to pursue careers with firms that represent fossil fuel companies. Despite this shift in strategy, Hirschel-Burns confirmed that the group would continue to exert pressure on law firms.
