Environmental Lawyer Details how NYSBA Inspired her Climate Change Novel

By: Sarah Lewis

I joined the New York State Bar Association and Environmental Law Section decades ago when I started practicing law. Not only did it make sense from my perspective as a fledgling environmental attorney, but many of my firm’s attorneys were active in NYSBA and the Section and encouraged my membership. It was an honor to be part of a Section at the forefront of environmental law and whose membership read like a who’s who in the environmental field.

Over time the needs of my firms and clients pulled me away from an environmental practice, but I remained a member of the Section. This kept me up to date on developments in environmental law and the players in this field. The Section’s programs and publications have always been timely, educational, and presented/written by top notch attorneys.

Newfound Benefits

In recent years, my membership in the Section assisted me in a way I never imagined. One of the Section’s publications I’ve followed is the Climate Change Blog by Carl Howard . The Blog is a “facts on the ground” account of the impacts climate change has around the globe and actions being taken in the US and internationally to address it, particularly from a legal lens.

One particular day the Blog gave me an unexpected “ah ha” moment. For context, I’d been struggling with the sudden death of one of my dogs, and to deal with the grief I’d decided to write a story in which he was a main character. I thought he could team up with other animals as well as humans to do something. One of the Avengers movies and the first Black Panther movie were popular at the time and I likened the team of animals and humans to superheroes, but couldn’t figure out what they’d fight. Who/what impacted both humans and animals and would be a fitting antagonist for the story?

With that question in the back of my mind, I read the Blog and it hit me – climate change would be the enemy! Climate change, as very clearly spelled out in the Blog, impacts everything on the planet, so the characters in my story would work together to fight climate change. The Blog provided the missing piece for me to start writing my optimistic climate fiction novel, The Change Agents: Whispers in the Wind.

Becoming an Author While Working as a Lawyer

Thus began quite the journey to write a book while practicing law. My goals were to both deal with my grief (concerning the death of not only the dog who inspired the story but also my second dog and my parents, who passed away after I started writing) and inspire people to become Change Agents fighting the climate crisis. I reached out to Carl Howard after the story was finished, and explained how the Blog crystallized the plot. He was kind enough to write an endorsement for the book, which was published in late 2021.

Changing the Narrative

Last month I discussed the novel and publishing process with NYSBA’s Women in Law Section’s Book Club. Hopefully my experiences as an attorney becoming an author will assist others seeking to do the same.

I’ve always valued membership in NYSBA and its Sections for a number of reasons, mainly related to my law practice. Little did I ever dream the NYSBA connections, particularly with the Environmental and Energy Law Section, would ever assist in writing an environmentally themed novel. You never know how or when being a NYSBA member will not only benefit you but provide an avenue for you to assist others.

Many, many thanks to Carl Howard, the Environmental and Energy Law Section, and its members for your dedication and tireless efforts to make a substantial impact on the creation, implementation, and practice of environmental law in New York State and beyond.

Purchase Change Agents here