Starting a Climate Law Firm with Joshua Domb and Gen-R Law

What if all legal advice was filtered through the lens of climate change?

What would that even look like...

Joshua Domb is trying to answer that question as he prepares to launch Gen-R Law !?

Joshua's vision for the future of climate law is thoughtful and inspiring. In this interview we talk about confidence, “healthy” stress, how to find your way into the climate change space, and the concept of a more climate-conscious future for the traditional full-service law firm.

?Envision a better legal future with us, and keep reading below!

ABOUT THE PLANETARY LAWYER PROJECT?

Hi! I’m?Matthew Karmel, chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Law Group at?Offit Kurman, P.A. and founder of the planetary lawyer project.

I started my career as an associate with a single pro bono climate client and am now the head of a cutting edge climate-focused practice group at a full-service AMLaw 200 law firm with a thriving book of climate-related clients.

Now, I want to help you build your own climate-friendly legal career through my newsletter, the planetary lawyer project ! Subscribe to get further interviews, job postings, and climate-career advice right in your inbox!

Any views expressed are my own. Nothing here is legal advice

Matthew Karmel: Let’s start at the beginning.? How would you define Gen-R Law?

Joshua Domb: Gen-R Law is an ambitious vision for a full-service law firm which practices every aspect of the law through the lens of climate change.

We are named after Generation-R, an imagined name for the generation of children that will be born in the year 2100. Their lives will be defined by the need to repair, rewild and renew the planet and its natural environment, unless we can take meaningful steps, right now, to change their fate.

Our mission at Gen-R Law is “to contribute to the work against climate change and the global mission to achieve net-zero by building a leading, full-service law firm, with specialist climate change, environment and green-tech expertise embedded throughout every practice area.” Through this mission, we aim to help create a more sustainable future for Generation-R; encouraging clients to consider their needs as part of the advice that we give.? ?

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Matthew Karmel: ?That’s very exciting and ambitious. What is your background and what is leading you to launch Gen-R Law?

Joshua Domb: I've been practising as a white-collar crime lawyer for eight years now. And I love it! It’s fun, sexy, hugely intellectually stimulating and occasionally very stressful; everything I desired from a legal career.

I started to become concerned about climate change a few years ago, particularly after the birth of my niece, Clara. Holding her for the first time really got me thinking about what her future might look like. I imagined a day, perhaps twenty years from now, when Clara would ask me what I, with all of the privileges, resources and opportunities that I have been afforded, had done to prevent the climate disaster I worried she would grow up dealing with. Being honest with myself, I had to recognize that, as much as I truly enjoy it, nothing about my work as a white-collar crime lawyer, to date, has made an appreciable difference in relation to climate change. ?If I was going to have a good answer for Clara, or better yet contribute to a situation where she would never have to ask me that question in the first place, I knew that something would need to change.?

In August 2022 I took a year off to travel with my wife which gave me time to think about my next move. I wanted to learn how to use my skills as a white-collar crime lawyer in the context of climate change. I assumed that a dedicated, climate change focused full-service law firm already existed in a legal market as mature as the UK, and my intention was simply to go and work there. It took several days of searching for me to realize that there was no such firm, which I found astonishing and disappointing given the critical role that lawyers have in helping businesses navigate climate change, and my belief in the power of the law as a tool to help drive progress.

After a little reflection, I started to imagine what the firm I wanted to work at might look like. I dreamt of a firm with a dedicated mission to make a meaningful contribution to the work against climate change and an environment where every lawyer was as passionate about climate change as I am. A firm that would donate 10% of its profits to environmental causes, and provide tailored support to green tech startups. A firm which undertakes pro bono work to support charities and projects in this space, empowers young people to be part of the work against climate change, and incorporates lessons and insights from indigenous peoples into the way it conducts itself, and advises its clients. It seemed a little radical at first, but when I wrote all of that down and looked at it on paper, I knew that I had captured a vision for the law firm that I wanted to work at. A place that I was confident other lawyers who care deeply about these issues would want to come and work at also.

At the same time, I used my year away to continue educating myself, reading extensively about all aspects of climate change. I particularly focused on the way that businesses are integrating Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles into their operations. In one crystallizing moment, I came to understand ESG as the latest iteration of governance, which has always been a core part of my work as a white-collar crime lawyer. I realized that my experience of preparing risk assessments, drafting policies and procedures, delivering training, helping businesses upgrade their supply chain due diligence processes, and so many more of the soft skills that I had developed in my career to that point, were an excellent foundation for the legal services that I believed companies would increasingly need to support the integration of ESG principles into their operations. In combination with my compliance and investigations expertise, I started to piece together something that looked like a marketable set of legal services! After many more months of refining the concept and getting over the intense fear that all of this might go horridly wrong, I decided (with my wife’s support!) to have a go at turning the vision into a reality. That is how I came to launch Gen-R Law.

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Matthew Karmel:? Okay, so how will Gen-R law filter its advice through the lens of climate?? What will that look like?

Joshua Domb: Every aspect of the law intersects with climate change somewhere, and often in multiple ways.? Think about Corporate lawyers conducting ESG due diligence as part of M&A transactions, Banking lawyers helping clients issue ‘Green Bonds’ or secure ‘Green Loans’, or Funds lawyers setting up ‘ESG’ or ‘Sustainable’ funds.? Think about Real Estate lawyers integrating net-zero considerations into lease agreements, Projects lawyers advising on carbon budgets for new developments, IP lawyers patenting new green technologies or Employment lawyers helping clients integrate climate change related targets and initiatives into employment contracts and employee handbooks. ?Wherever that intersection exists is where I hope Gen-R Law will one day specialize.?

More generally, by building an environment in which every lawyer is passionate about addressing climate change, I hope to create a space in which we think of every client instruction as an opportunity to achieve something positive for the planet, whilst also helping our clients to grow and protect their bottom line. That is how you filter legal advice through the lens of climate change.? ????

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Matthew Karmel: You’re taking a huge leap of faith in launching Gen-R Law, and we have found that this is a common narrative among would-be climate lawyers.?How did you find the confidence? Can you point to a defining moment in your history that played a crucial role in shaping this confidence?

Joshua Domb: I’m not sure I believe in defining moments that give you confidence, albeit occasionally something happens which reassures you that you are not entirely out of your depth – realizing the synergies between my skills as a white-collar crime lawyer and the evolving field of ESG, for example. I think that well-placed confidence (as opposed to arrogance) is slowly earned through patent study, careful thought and hard work. If there is a defining moment, perhaps it is finding the courage to embrace the journey in the first place, recognizing that it is going to feel uncomfortable at times.

I think educating yourself is key here – by reading around the subject, listening to podcasts and attending conferences, I think all of us can upskill and find opportunities to apply our legal knowledge to the challenges of climate change. By going through that process you slowly become more confident, creating the space in which you might feel ready to take a calculated chance.

One observation here is that many people have broad skill sets and are very passionate about climate change, but struggle to articulate the specific value that they want to add. Refining that message takes time, patience and a lot of practice. What seems to me now to be a relatively simple description of Gen-R Law as “a full-service law firm which practices every aspect of the law through the lens of climate change”, took almost a year to refine.? What confidence I have in the vision comes from extensive study, careful research, and clarity of thought and messaging. I still panic at least three times a day that this is all too ambitious and bound to implode, but I have spent enough time refining the vision and understanding how and why I think it can work that the nervous moments can be managed. I am also down from five moments of panic a day, so that’s positive progress!

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Matthew Karmel: During a prior discussion, you mentioned that the white-collar work you used to do was “stressful in precisely the way you desired.” Some lawyers certainly thrive on stress, while others do notl. ?I certainly believe that climate lawyers, especially those trying to take on new roles, need to have a positive relationship with stress.? What do you think?? What is your view of “healthy” stress?

?Joshua Domb: Lawyers like us work 50, 60, sometimes 70 hours a week on a multitude of complex challenges and problems. This kind of lifestyle isn't for everyone, and I think that's okay. People are made differently and have different natural attributes. For me, if I'm committing to something for 60 hours a week, I want it to get my heart racing. I want to be invested. I want it to throw unexpected challenges at me because that's where the greatest learning happens, and that's where I find the most professional satisfaction.

Whilst stress gets a lot of negative PR, I don’t think it is inherently bad. If I am feeling stressed then it means I care, I am learning, and most of the time, that I am having fun. And that is a good thing. Tolerating stress is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice, as long as you have a healthy way of dealing with it. That's my approach to stress – I see it as a good thing in reasonable doses, as long as you manage it well.

To refocus on climate change for a moment, I expect that many of your readers suffer – like I do – from occasional climate anxiety.? It reached a point not that long ago where my concern about climate change was keeping me awake at night and impacting my broader wellbeing – climate change was stressing me out! ?Getting involved in the work against climate change has given me back a feeling of agency and control. I still struggle to settle some evenings, but climate change doesn’t keep me awake any more, now that I am doing (or at least trying to do!) something positive about it.? Ironically, when it comes to climate change, the least stressful thing you can do is find a way to get involved in the work!

Matthew Karmel: I want to revisit the launch of Gen-R Law because it appears you have a very intentional media strategy that seems to be quite successful.? We’ve talked a lot previously about how important social media and media in general are for career development. ?Could you share insights into your marketing perspective and what you're aiming to achieve with the launch of Gen-R Law?

Joshua Domb: Whilst I am reasonably well known in London in the white-collar crime space, I was, until recently, a total unknown when it comes to climate change! Job one has therefore been to establish my credentials, and get to know the thought leaders who are currently out there – which is of course how I came to meet you Matthew!

I'm primarily using LinkedIn for marketing, which is a very cost-effective way of reaching an immense audience of people all around the world. I'm testing out different approaches with the content that I share, which includes writing about relevant legislative developments, highlighting climate change related books that I have particularly enjoyed, and sharing what I call ‘Recommended Reading’; reports or other resources from appropriate NGOs, institutions or companies which discuss interesting topics in this space. I have also posted about exciting new technologies, recommended podcasts, documentaries, and even shared a meme or two which have been fun to create!

That content, which takes a huge amount of time to prepare, has inevitably been met with varied responses, which is all part of the learning process. Timing plays a role in effectively using LinkedIn, and knowing when to post is crucial. The key, as ever, is not being afraid to get it wrong and leaning into the process.

I went live with the vision for Gen-R Law on LinkedIn at the beginning of November 2023. Since then I have gained about 800 new followers, which is a reasonable start! I have also had about 80 conversations with lawyers all over the world and at every stage of their career. All of them have shown a real passion for and interest in this space. Those conversations have been a joy. To go back to our discussion a few minutes ago, they have given me a lot of confidence.

When we first spoke, Matthew, you used a phrase which I have since repeatedly stolen. You described yourself as an “aligned advisor”. Within two weeks of going live on LinkedIn, I received a message from a food tech business in the United Kingdom using exactly that phrase. They were looking for aligned advisors, lawyers who truly shared their planet positive mission and values. We had a wonderful introductory phone call a few days later, and I hope that we might get to work together in due course.

As a tool for building a business, brand, finding resources, meeting possible future colleagues, and even finding potential clients, LinkedIn is quite extraordinary. As ever, I think the key is to lean into the journey, and be willing to learn as you go.

I hope that anyone who reads this will feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn also; when it comes to tackling climate change we are one team, and I love getting to know my teammates!

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Matthew Karmel: ?As we close out this discussion, what's the one piece of advice you would give to lawyers who want to do more climate friendly work?

Josh Domb: Read. Get educated, and spend time thinking about where and how the challenge of climate change intersects with your skills as a lawyer. Whatever your background or area of legal practice, it will.? Finally, don’t be afraid to lean into the journey and then figure it out as you go. When it comes to climate change, we don’t have the time to allow fear to delay us from taking action.? ?

Thanks for reading! This interview is part of the planetary lawyer project, a newsletter that helps you build a climate-friendly legal career.

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