Don’t count yourself out if you weren’t the best ball player on your youth team or the team that had the most wins either. What I remember from youth baseball are the group of parents that laid out the spread at the games. Most of the time the kids lost and the dads complained about the umpire’s calls more than they praised our play to win. In fact, I do not remember many instances of praise during my time playing youth baseball other than my coach telling me to “go get them next time.” Truthfully, I did play pretty well. However, it took years of practice from family members for me to develop my skills and get to a level of expected performance.

Even among the worst teams, the sport of baseball teaches kids invaluable concepts that follow them throughout their lives, including the importance of teamwork, strategy, and perseverance. These vital concepts are exactly what you need in a career in environmental law. The DC area has a diverse need for lawyers to represent in the areas of environmental services. Today, environmental services are needed in the energy, food, manufacturing, transportation, and waste industries. As technology continues to evolve, engineers, architects, and lawyers are needed to oversee the process and ensure the rules and regulations are followed. Teams of lawyers are required to service these clients, and some are even needed to work on international environmental issues.

In addition to teamwork, players at games develop communication skills by interacting with other teams, coaches, and spectators. Attending a game, having to communicate with any of these groups is imperative to the overall experience of the game. For environmental lawyers in many cases, communication is the heart of their jobs. They need to communicate effectively with judges, juries, and clients. In most cases, communication is the lawyer’s only weapon, and often times the difference between winning and losing. Baseball has prepared many for future careers because of the lifetime of communication skills they have being developed. Speaking with people and presenting in public becomes the norm, and the art is practiced over and over.

In order to show dedication to their field, Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, once said “No matter how busy, even if I sleep four hours, if I have to get up at four, I’ll do it, I’ll get used to it,” in Weekly Baseball. This type of dedication is what is needed from legal professionals these days. The job you have may not be what you want. The projects you are currently working on may suck. You may question if this position was the right choice for you. However, if you have put in years of hard work and study, all those nagging thoughts are normal. Your efforts will pay off, so long as you continue to put in the work. Tanaka worked his entire life to be in the MLB, and now he is on one of the best teams in baseball and living the “dream.”

As young athletes are encouraged to understand, and take part in their surrounding community, the job environment is no different. You need to know the people around you, where they are from, also you need to know who the leaders are. Understanding the leaders in your network will build you lifelong ties. In the structure of baseball, a player like Mike Trout always plays center field, hitting third, closer to home plate than his teammates. The job environment is no different, you may be a newly hired staffer, but if you show your true potential for success, your superiors will see you, and move you up the ranks or transition you to another department. Benefits in your 401k plan, restaurant discounts, holiday parties, and flexible work options are fine and all, but you work for the people around you. Whether you are buying lunch or helping a co-worker with a project, it is these experiences that leave the greatest impact on you and your career. People always remember how you made them feel. As for me, my youth baseball coach was a close friend of the family, and we still talk today.

Major League Baseball has a high standard that players are expected to meet during their careers because of based on their past achievements. In order to achieve your goals, you must strive for greatness as well, because good is not good enough. Dedicate yourself to the time and effort needed to master the craft, and your efforts will pay off in the long run.

When it comes to being an environmental lawyer in the DC area, dedication is a must. In this highly competitive area, firms seek new hires who are ready to carry themselves with grace, style, and professionalism. Not to mention the overall teamwork effort, as all teams need good defensively minded and effective pitchers, and the same goes for legal practices. Lastly, integrity is not only important but ethical decision making is applicable in the world of sports and practices of environmental law.

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