Inspiring Grads: Law 2

Kate Handley

Job history

2021–Present Co-founder Biodiversity Law Centre

2019–Present Environmental Law Consultant Cullinan & Associates

2016–Present Western Cape Representative Environmental Law Association of South Africa

2015–2019 Attorney Nicholas Smith Attorneys

2014–2015 Associate Assheton-Smith Ginsberg Inc

Academic history

2014–2016 LLM in Environmental Law University of Cape Town

2009–2010 LLB University of Cape Town

2006–2008 BSocSc specialising in Industrial and Organisational Psychology and Law Rhodes University

Describe your job – what do you do?

I am an environmental attorney. I currently work as a consultant for a law firm, providing advice to a variety of clients in the private, public and NGO sectors on a range of environmental law topics.

One of the reasons I love my job is that the matters I work on, and what I therefore do, differ daily. I have worked for renewable energy developers assisting them with navigating the laws they need to comply with to build solar and wind farms. I have helped NGOs fight big corporations looking to conduct oil and gas drilling off the South African coast. I have helped clients comment on proposed new legislation relating to wildlife management. My work involves a large amount of reading and research, as well as consulting with clients and advocates (who we appoint to argue litigation matters in court).

How have your degrees helped in your career?

In order to be a lawyer, you have to study an LLB. My degree was therefore a prerequisite to the career I wanted to follow. I also wanted to pursue environmental law as a particular specialisation, and the LLM in this field assisted me in gaining a deeper understanding of this area of law, as well as building a network of other environmental lawyers, many of whom I have worked with.

What has been a highlight of your career so far?

Founding a new law clinic, the Biodiversity Law Centre. Its purpose is to use the law to reverse the catastrophic decline of biodiversity in Southern Africa. It is an ongoing project and it has been a huge challenge, but I am passionate about working with purpose.

What advice would you give to environmental law graduates?

Read widely. As a lawyer, reading is going to be one of your key skills. It is critical to keep up to date with developments in the law and politics relevant to your field, and to keep abreast of environmental issues affecting South Africa and the world in general.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career?

I didn’t start my career in environmental law. I first practised in the field of insolvency law and business rescue. I worked in this field for four years, but I knew that my passion lay in environmental law.

To this end, I studied my LLM part-time while working. This in itself was a challenge. It was also a big challenge to find employment at a firm or organisation specialising in environmental law, as it is a niche field with limited employment opportunities. I had many conversations, and sent many emails with my CV before I eventually managed to make the career shift into an environmental law firm. Making a change in career direction is certainly challenging, but the transition was worth every effort.

How do you see environmental law evolving in the near future?

I think the momentum around climate action is only going to increase. I hope to also see greater shifts towards biodiversity conservation as a means of ensuring climate mitigation and adaptation, and lawyers who are able to straddle the law-energy nexus and law-ecology nexus are going to play an important role.

I think the mainstreaming of environmental law into other fields of law is going to become critical. For example, we are already seeing climate change considerations making more of an appearance in the insurance industry, as well as in the finance sector.