Dodgy Lawyers

Over the last 5 years, the 'top' 100 US law firms facilitated a total of $1.36tn in transactions for fossil fuel (gas, oil and coal) companies (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/09/fossil-fuel-companies-law-firms). For example, the US law firms represented fossil fuel clients in almost 360 legal cases. Lawyers also received $35m 'in compensation' for work, assisting fossil fuel lobbying. The legal dice has always been very much loaded, as neither litigants nor environmentalists, will be able to pay for 'top lawyers'. The fossil fuel companies are essentially using their considerable wealth, to attempt to 'buy their way' out of curbs on their no longer defendable activities. Some 'top lawyers' appear only too willing (for a considerable fee) to help the fossil fuel companies get permits, negate environmental concerns, override limitations to extractions, facilitate pipelines into protected areas etc. People have generally had low opinions of lawyers as a group. Many 'top lawyers' seem happy, however, to collude in planetary destruction, so long as the price is right. Perhaps, the esteem in which lawyers are held, just reached rock bottom?