Planning and law background

[geokatgrl]

Just a question:

I'm currently a grad student in resource planning and would eventually like to work my way up to city planner. Is a law degree helpful or just a waste of money?

 

[mike gurnee]

What do you want to do when you grow up? There are many opportunities for one with a planning/law background. Check out the Planning and Law Divison of the American Planning Association.

On the other hand, a law degree can be a complete waste of time if you do not use it.

 

[Cardinal]

Do you want to be a lawyer practicing land use law? If so, get the law degree. If you want to do planning - urban design, comprehensive planning, redevelopment/revitalization, current planning and the like - your graduate degree is all you need and the law degree is likely to work against your getting a job.

 

[geokatgrl]

Well, I love planning, but I also find land use and environmental law fascinating. My best scenerio job would be a city lawyer with a hand in the planning process. Does such a position exist? I'm sure I must sound a bit naive, but my background is in environmental consulting, and I'm relatively new to the planning scene. The thought of wasting another three years and a boat-load of money on law school (if it isn't even worth it) is frightening to say the least.

Any advice is very much appreciated!

 

[Cardinal]

Large communities may have a staff attorney specializing in land use law. Still, I think the majority of the time, this person is likely to be working on real estate acquisitions, development agreements, and the like - not really taking part in the actual planning. Mid-sized and smaller communities usually have a city attorney who is a generalist. The smallest cities will usually contract out to a firm for legal services.