"Recharge your batteries academically before the first year of law school."

Jeff Porter, a 1985 Bates graduate, wants to reassure Bates students thinking about law school that they are at the right place. From his experience, he says, Bates gives students the skills and perspective they will need to succeed in law school, and beyond. Bates' rigorous academic program has enabled it to build a solid reputation with the top law schools. Jeff attributes his career success to skills acquired at Bates, not at law school. He says that as long as you work to excel at Bates, you can get into the nation’s best law schools.

Jeff currently practices environmental law in the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo, a large law firm employing approximately 500 lawyers in Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Reston, Virginia and New Haven Connecticut. Jeff is a partner at the firm, and heads the Firm’s environmental law section. Therefore, in addition to his duties as attorney, he also is part of the firm’s management team. As an environmental lawyer, Jeff's main responsibilities are to litigate environmental law disputes and address environmental issued faced in the context of s of business and real estate transactions.

Jeff discovered his current job while working at another, much smaller, Boston law firm. He knew that he wanted to practice environmental law in the private sector, and pursued the most challenging work he could find. Mintz Levin was regarded as a leader in environmental law, so when there was an opportunity, Jeff joined the firm as an associate.

Students considering a law career should take at least one year off before law school, according to Jeff, to “recharge your batteries academically before the first year of law school," a year that is notoriously difficult. During that year off, students should not feel compelled to explore law, rather, they should spend their time doing something that they find personally meaningful. Jeff’s second piece of advice is to “go to the best law school you can get into, no matter where it is”. The caliber of your law school education is far more important to employers than the location of the school. Therefore, Jeff advises students to expand their law school search beyond the geographic area where they think they would like to practice. Jeff uses his personal experience as an example commenting that although he went to Cornell Law School, he never intended to practice law in Ithaca, New York, and had no problem convincing Boston law firms about his commitment to the City. Students should also learn as much as they can about what kinds of law they think they’ll be interested in. Two publications, the ABA Journal and American Lawyer, are good resources. Law school is a huge financial investment, and students should be sure that it is really what they want to do.

While in college, it is essential for students to “work hard” and “get the best grades you can in courses that will seem relevant to the law school.” Jeff also stressed the importance of extracurricular activities that suggest leadership skills. He is convinced that the fact that he was President of the Bates Representative Assembly was as important to Cornell as his GPA and LSAT score. Law schools look for well-rounded applicants with a demonstrated interest in the law. Of course, it is also important for students to stay out of trouble.

As for the future, Jeff plans to continuing working to establish Mintz Levin as a nationally-recognized leader in environmental law . He will remain active in various pro bono efforts. However, he is particularly looking forward to serving on the Board of Directors of Island Alliance, the non-profit organization responsible for coordinating private sector strategic and financial resources to promote the use of the Boston Harbor Islands, a national park established in 1996. Island Alliance’s important role is defined by the federal law establishing the Boston Harbor Islands as a national park.

For more information about Jeff and his practice (or to contact him), please visit Mintz Levin’s web page at www.mintz.com.