Episode 21-Creating a Mission Driven Law Practice

For law students who want to do good in the world, there are three conventional paths.  Some law students pursue jobs in the public interest and work for non-profit organizations.  Others find jobs in government agencies where there are many opportunities to serve the public good (in local, state or federal government). Still other aspiring attorneys elect to choose a traditional career in private practice and pursue pro bono work on the side.  But there is a fourth way to use your law degree that can satisfy a desire to do good while doing well, go to work for a mission driven practice. There are many examples of mission driven practices.  Some firms focus on representing non-profit institutions in corporate or litigation matters.  Other firms might do civil rights work or represent individual clients who are victims of domestic violence. There are firms that represent labor unions and firms that handle asylum cases.  There are firms that advocate on behalf of special needs children to obtain services that are being denied by school systems. And there are firms that represent profitable businesses that have a mission driven good or service that they provide. My guest in this episode, Jonathan Klavens, represents the last category of mission driven practice.   Jon is the owner of Klavens Law Group.  His practice focuses on meeting the diverse legal needs of companies, investors, public entities and nonprofits in the areas of clean energy/clean technology, sustainable agriculture/aquaculture and food ventures, social enterprise and impact investment. In his practice, he draws on his diverse background in general corporate, securities, project development and finance, fund formation, energy transactional, energy regulatory, environmental and nonprofit matters. Jon founded Klavens Law Group, P.C. in 2007 to help enable innovative ventures that have positive environmental or other social impact. Jon previously practiced law at BCK Law, P.C. and Goodwin Procter LLP, and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.  He holds a B.A. from Columbia College, a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law, a school which attracts a lot of students looking to make a difference in the world.