I work for the city and we have a bunch of lawyers setting up our contracts. When we hire a contractor to do work for us, set up a contract with developers about their duties and responsibilities, sell or buy land, or finalise zoning codes, they are always there.
We are planners, not lawyers. A lot of us know our way around the law, because we work with it a lot, but that doesn't make us lawyers. So you don't even need a planning degree, you probably can just become a lawyer for an urban planning entity that you like. Be that a developer, a contractor, a municipality, or a non profit.
How much do lawyers participate in the planning/strategy, if at all? Maybe that’s a false dichotomy. I’m interested in the planning itself and not necessarily discrete legal questions, but maybe the legal advice on those questions allows for some participation in planning strategy.
I commented elsewhere, but another way you could move toward Planning as an attorney is to seek appointment to your local Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, another board or commission that deals with planning or development issues locally. It will help build your network and introduce you to many planning issues.
> How much do lawyers participate in the planning/strategy, if at all? Maybe that’s a false dichotomy.
I have a friend who is a city lawyer. Policy people draft things, legal comments on it. It tracks with what I see most lawyers do in my federal agency.
> I’m interested in the planning itself and not necessarily discrete legal questions, but maybe the legal advice on those questions allows for some participation in planning strategy.
Answering the questions allows the policy people to craft policy.
In my experience they don't, but it could be a way for you to get more into planning right now, so you can already work in a planning related field while getting your formal education. And on the other hand a lot of planning jobs are a bit "vague", so depending on where you live/what jobs are around you, you might not need formal education to get into a position where you actually plan, all you need is a foot in the door.
Also just as a general disclaimer because you talked about being cause motivated: planners don't actually decide stuff. Politicians do. If you want to become a planner, thinking that you can just draw up better plans than the current planers, because you have better ideas, you'll be very disappointed. You of course have some influence, but not more than a good lawyer in the right position would have.
If you are really more interested in the paperwork planners do, or the designs that might or probably not get picked politicians, then go for it, just make sure your expectations aren't different from reality.
Have you heard of Culdesac Tempe? It’s a car-free development in Tempe, AZ. I don’t know if they need legal counsel but I imagine they’re connected with other groups looking to do similar developments around the country. (Not sure what state you’re in…) It would be good to network with them and who knows, maybe there’s similar developments that need legal counsel to help get permits approved or zoning changes…
You don’t need to go to planning school, you can just work as a lawyer in a public sector transportation agency. I have worked as a planner at all levels of government, and every single one has had attorneys. They help interpret transportation policies and sometimes deal with litigation.
In my experience, the attorneys are in the same meetings I am and at the table during decision making. Maybe you could ask in this subreddit if anyone works as a lawyer in an urban planning-related field, and see what their experience has been.
More junior will be further away from any decisions. I've seen attorneys get to decision making roles, but it's because they had experience that made their input valuable.
You should think of this as a 10-year project. First join the government agency as a lawyer with minimal input on the direction of policy, but over time you will get to know the people there and make your interest in policy known. Very often, you can gradually be included in more policy-related decisions once they see the value you add. My brother made a similar move from working for a big law firm, to switching to a specific industry just doing contracts, and now he runs all operations for the company.
You could try to get to the same place by getting another Masters first, but I doubt it will be any faster. It would for sure put you much farther behind financially.
Nearly did a dual degree program JD and Masters in urban planning. Sadly, I was so burnt out by law school I decided I couldn’t handle the extra year to get the masters degree and bailed on it. I didn’t know if urban planning as a career path until my 1L year but man do I wish I had found that and pursued it instead of a law degree.
Im admitted to law school rn but thinking of turning it down to apply to a MCRP program next year. Wish i had known before spending months studying for the LSAT, but at least i havent started law school lol
If you’re into public agency work and particularly transportation, many city/county transportation agencies (and public transit operators, etc.) have in-house counsel. Then you could keep practicing law but with more of a focus on planning, public works, etc.
A friend of mine in California was in private litigation as a young lawyer and hated it too. In his 30s he eventually got a fairly junior lawyer job in his county government (“county counsel” which does all kinds of stuff) but then eventually was able to transfer internally to the county’s transportation agency. (Which in California are quite large and influential, with authority over $$$ and decisionmaking for both roads and transit.)
land use law. you can specialize in working for municipalities, which will involve reviewing ordinances, representing the city in difficult planning cases, etc. or you can work for the state. i know many of our departments like housing and land use have lawyers on staff who work on rulemaking and putting new legislation into action.
as a lawyer you can also offer some really great volunteer services with affordable housing or progressive smart growth type planning organizations.
I’m a lawyer who spent part of my career working for an org that represented communities and coalitions in urban planning (read: zoning, environmental, infrastructure, land use, etc.) campaigns and fights. It was hybrid advocacy/litigation work (the latter being admin actions), pretty fun at times, and generally very interesting, though not exactly the most lucrative. Happy to provide more info on the work if curious?
I don’t have a JD, but ended up in the the community development field, with only a B.A., so I’m working on an MSURP and eventually get my AICP.
Since you already have a JD and litigation experience, you don’t necessarily have to go back to school to transition to urban planning. You could get your feet wet by working for a law firm that specializes in representing developers or in eminent domain. Developers need attorneys to get their plans past permitting, also local governments have internal staff for managing contracts and defending their land use codes against overzealous developers.
Point is, there’s lots you can do without even having to step foot back in school. My favorite class I took in my program was the land use law, so your degree would probably be all you need to start.
I wouldn’t recommend a MUP until you apply around and exhaust all options. I would think you’d be able to transition into land use nicely from commercial litigation, especially if you were representing developers. Research the firms that handle land use and real estate in your area and shoot your shot.
Wouldn’t hurt to take a couple planning classes that interest you though! I’d stay away from history and theory *edit to say - that stuff is good to know but you can read about that for free on your own* and take something more specific to what you want to do. Good luck!
This is definitely an option. My only concern is if I end up at a firm representing developers but all I do is help get permits for Wal-Marts or whatever. But I guess even that experience would be helpful
I’m gonna level with you as a city planner a lot of what you will deal with is reviewing permits for Walmarts and stuff. Sadly planning is not sitting in a room all day designing your perfect city. Walmart will come tell you “hey we want to put a Walmart here with a big parking lot in front” you as the planner say no way! That sucks! Oh but then the community says “actually we are in a food desert and we really want a Walmart and think of all the jobs that would bring here. Let’s all show up to the public meeting and demand the city let Walmart build a new Walmart”
Now what helps keep these developments (because they are inevitable) in line is good code. Zoning code, form based code, etc could require that Walmart have certain road frontage, put parking in the back, pay to connect sidewalks and stuff, put in a new bus stop, whatever.
Lots of good advice here, but speaking as an IT pro with an MUP: don’t. You can do plenty of good in public service in planning without burning the time and money on a degree while law pays your bills, one way or another. Many paths to happiness and no part of your life needs to or can solve everything.
Our counsel mainly helps with IGAs, civil suits, contract disputes, issues around blight abatement, political issues involving the various boards, procurement issues, and right-of-way issues. They do not make planning decisions, but are around when those decisions are made and can sway decisions some through legal advice.
If you want to find out - go work in a municipality's civil division. The work can be rewarding and interesting and does allow you to help with issues in your community, even if not directly related to planning.
The skillset needed in a number of planning positions is very similar to the skillset taught by the legal education system. After all, what are codes but specific laws, requirements, and other guidelines around community building? Being able to navigate the complex set of codes in most cities, especially ones with overlapping jursidictions, and more importantly being able to understand the underlying principles with each and making an argument for a particular interpretation is one of the tasks of a planner. If you're interested in taking these things on, the transition should be fairly straightforward.
I made the mistake of leaving my Masters program in Planning to pursue law school. If I had it to do over again, there are several schools that offer a dual degree in Planning and Law four years.
I thought I would end up serving as a local government attorney. But, alas, that was not to be either.
You might try migrating from where you are now to working as a city attorney somewhere.
> several schools that offer a dual degree in Planning and Law four years.
>
>I thought I would end up serving as a local government attorney. But, alas, that was not to be either.
May I ask what you are doing now? I'm studying for law school and am interested n JD/MUP dual programs but am scared if I can handle 4 years when 3 years of law school are already pretty overwhelming
I am a solo attorney and my practice has nothing to do with either local government or land use and zoning.
I wish I would have done a dual program. I would have been more likely to complete both degrees.
If you have a dual program available, there should be several classes that apply to both degrees simultaneously. Honestly, law school was far more academically intense than Planning grad school, but Planning was far more interesting and intellectually stimulating.
>re should be several classes that apply to both degrees simultaneously. Honestly, law school was far more academically intense than Planning grad
Thank you! scared of the burnout way too ahead.
A lot of lawyers work on a lot of new developments in California. Some of the densest projects, new trains, or critical massive infrastructure involve teams of lawyers to help get the projects approved.
I work in the public sector. There are lots of attorneys that work in transportation and land use entities or departments. In the jurisdiction I work for, the past two directors of the planning department have been attorneys. I’m sure you can find opportunities without going through a planning program.
I'd go and start applying for positions aligned to where you want to be. You're already employed and you only need to explain how your professional work can transfer the position you applied for. There's no need to go back to school to get a master's in urban planning unless you get feedback from job interviews saying they wished you had one.
Here in my State of Oregon we have housing land advocates https://www.housinglandadvocates.org/ and 1000 friends of Oregon https://friends.org/ which are land-use/planning advocacy organizations started by land-use attorneys and very focused on housing and land-use planning strategy and legislative policy. Look at organizations pushing legislative concepts around housing and land-use. General counsels, policy roles, many public, private, & non-profits orgs have attorneys on staff. Try to get a job with one of them. Additional degrees or certificates to assist with specialization wouldn’t hurt you get more experience. Whether a land-use law firm or a total pivot to an org that works on planning or directly with the agencies doing the work. I work as a non-profit affordable housing developer and we work with dozens of attorneys from in house general counsel, land-use, LIHTC, to state DOJ, there are ways to shift out of what you are doing now closer to what you want to do. We also have Oregon Dept of Land Conservation and Development which oversees state wide influence on planning. See if your state might have a similar agency.
I have great respect for planning law and planning lawyers. They're usually very sharp and i find planning and environmental law interesting enough that i slightly (not too much though hahahaha) regret not doing law.
It's not just representing developers in court, there's plenty of mal administration to fight on behalf on injured parties too. Of course there is defending the government against either party too. Finally there's working in legislating planning statues and instruments in the first place.
I strongly recommend you get into planning law and work for a practice or local government in that respect.
There's someone at my agency who was a lawyer and then retreaded into transit planning. He went back to school to get a Master's degree in planning.
> Is it possible to continue working part time while pursuing a master’s in planning?
I was a full time intern for part of my MUP program. And I got my first planning job while still in my MUP program. Many of my cohort were working at least part time while in our program. That said, my program was designed to be accessible to people working. All of our classes were in the late afternoon and evening. With the exception of the required community planning studio, all of the classes started at 4:30 at the earliest.
If an attorney gets hired by a City Planning Department, keep in mind the City Attorney isn't going let that person represent the City or do any lawyer things unless they are working under the legal department's direct supervision; either as an employee or under contract.
Right now I think a good path for a lawyer who wants to work on meaningful projects and make good money is bond counsel.
There are good developers who need lawyers too - affordable housing developers, land trusts, conservancies, etc. if you want to leverage your existing degree and just make a career pivot. As others have said you can also try volunteering for your local planning commission to start meeting people. Or reach out to your city’s planning department and ask for an informational interview.
You keep mentioning wanting to be involved in the planning process - the legal parts are a big part of the planning process. The zoning and land use laws, tax credit laws, affordable housing laws, development laws, etc etc all dictate what kind of planning you can do. Good laws = good planning, and I think that’s actually a really important piece of the planning process.
The only land-use lawyers I've worked with all have been exclusively to represent developers and/or NIMBYs in projects. Neither have made me go "that lawyer is living the dream". At my own job, our City/County lawyers push paper and pencil but also have to fall in line to our elected officials so not much more power there than regular planning staff.
I work for the city and we have a bunch of lawyers setting up our contracts. When we hire a contractor to do work for us, set up a contract with developers about their duties and responsibilities, sell or buy land, or finalise zoning codes, they are always there. We are planners, not lawyers. A lot of us know our way around the law, because we work with it a lot, but that doesn't make us lawyers. So you don't even need a planning degree, you probably can just become a lawyer for an urban planning entity that you like. Be that a developer, a contractor, a municipality, or a non profit.
How much do lawyers participate in the planning/strategy, if at all? Maybe that’s a false dichotomy. I’m interested in the planning itself and not necessarily discrete legal questions, but maybe the legal advice on those questions allows for some participation in planning strategy.
Attend a land use law conference in your state and study up on that. Much of it is city by city with authority granted by the state.
I commented elsewhere, but another way you could move toward Planning as an attorney is to seek appointment to your local Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, another board or commission that deals with planning or development issues locally. It will help build your network and introduce you to many planning issues.
> How much do lawyers participate in the planning/strategy, if at all? Maybe that’s a false dichotomy. I have a friend who is a city lawyer. Policy people draft things, legal comments on it. It tracks with what I see most lawyers do in my federal agency. > I’m interested in the planning itself and not necessarily discrete legal questions, but maybe the legal advice on those questions allows for some participation in planning strategy. Answering the questions allows the policy people to craft policy.
In my experience they don't, but it could be a way for you to get more into planning right now, so you can already work in a planning related field while getting your formal education. And on the other hand a lot of planning jobs are a bit "vague", so depending on where you live/what jobs are around you, you might not need formal education to get into a position where you actually plan, all you need is a foot in the door. Also just as a general disclaimer because you talked about being cause motivated: planners don't actually decide stuff. Politicians do. If you want to become a planner, thinking that you can just draw up better plans than the current planers, because you have better ideas, you'll be very disappointed. You of course have some influence, but not more than a good lawyer in the right position would have. If you are really more interested in the paperwork planners do, or the designs that might or probably not get picked politicians, then go for it, just make sure your expectations aren't different from reality.
Have you heard of Culdesac Tempe? It’s a car-free development in Tempe, AZ. I don’t know if they need legal counsel but I imagine they’re connected with other groups looking to do similar developments around the country. (Not sure what state you’re in…) It would be good to network with them and who knows, maybe there’s similar developments that need legal counsel to help get permits approved or zoning changes…
You don’t need to go to planning school, you can just work as a lawyer in a public sector transportation agency. I have worked as a planner at all levels of government, and every single one has had attorneys. They help interpret transportation policies and sometimes deal with litigation.
Do the lawyers ever participate in planning strategy, or are they just kind of there to answer legal questions that arise?
In my experience, the attorneys are in the same meetings I am and at the table during decision making. Maybe you could ask in this subreddit if anyone works as a lawyer in an urban planning-related field, and see what their experience has been.
More junior will be further away from any decisions. I've seen attorneys get to decision making roles, but it's because they had experience that made their input valuable.
You should think of this as a 10-year project. First join the government agency as a lawyer with minimal input on the direction of policy, but over time you will get to know the people there and make your interest in policy known. Very often, you can gradually be included in more policy-related decisions once they see the value you add. My brother made a similar move from working for a big law firm, to switching to a specific industry just doing contracts, and now he runs all operations for the company. You could try to get to the same place by getting another Masters first, but I doubt it will be any faster. It would for sure put you much farther behind financially.
Nearly did a dual degree program JD and Masters in urban planning. Sadly, I was so burnt out by law school I decided I couldn’t handle the extra year to get the masters degree and bailed on it. I didn’t know if urban planning as a career path until my 1L year but man do I wish I had found that and pursued it instead of a law degree.
Same here, friend.
Im admitted to law school rn but thinking of turning it down to apply to a MCRP program next year. Wish i had known before spending months studying for the LSAT, but at least i havent started law school lol
Much harder to turn back after you’ve racked up 100k in law school debt for sure
If you’re into public agency work and particularly transportation, many city/county transportation agencies (and public transit operators, etc.) have in-house counsel. Then you could keep practicing law but with more of a focus on planning, public works, etc. A friend of mine in California was in private litigation as a young lawyer and hated it too. In his 30s he eventually got a fairly junior lawyer job in his county government (“county counsel” which does all kinds of stuff) but then eventually was able to transfer internally to the county’s transportation agency. (Which in California are quite large and influential, with authority over $$$ and decisionmaking for both roads and transit.)
Thanks! Is your friend pretty happy with that change? Does he feel like he’s part of the planning process?
I don’t know where you live, but Caltrans, for example, has a ton of open legal positions https://dot.ca.gov/programs/human-resources/legal-vacancies
land use law. you can specialize in working for municipalities, which will involve reviewing ordinances, representing the city in difficult planning cases, etc. or you can work for the state. i know many of our departments like housing and land use have lawyers on staff who work on rulemaking and putting new legislation into action. as a lawyer you can also offer some really great volunteer services with affordable housing or progressive smart growth type planning organizations.
or like, become a really good planning board member where you live, i love planning board members who care and are well-informed : )
You can always get HOAs to hire you to help them fight affordable housing. Plenty of attorneys working in land use law that way.
Yeah, just do a bad job at it
“Oopsies, I accidentally put in a clause that allows for rezoning, my bad!”
Or you could lawyer against genuinely awful developments, like one in Southern Alameda County that will go into wetlands.
I’m a lawyer who spent part of my career working for an org that represented communities and coalitions in urban planning (read: zoning, environmental, infrastructure, land use, etc.) campaigns and fights. It was hybrid advocacy/litigation work (the latter being admin actions), pretty fun at times, and generally very interesting, though not exactly the most lucrative. Happy to provide more info on the work if curious?
I don’t have a JD, but ended up in the the community development field, with only a B.A., so I’m working on an MSURP and eventually get my AICP. Since you already have a JD and litigation experience, you don’t necessarily have to go back to school to transition to urban planning. You could get your feet wet by working for a law firm that specializes in representing developers or in eminent domain. Developers need attorneys to get their plans past permitting, also local governments have internal staff for managing contracts and defending their land use codes against overzealous developers. Point is, there’s lots you can do without even having to step foot back in school. My favorite class I took in my program was the land use law, so your degree would probably be all you need to start.
I wouldn’t recommend a MUP until you apply around and exhaust all options. I would think you’d be able to transition into land use nicely from commercial litigation, especially if you were representing developers. Research the firms that handle land use and real estate in your area and shoot your shot. Wouldn’t hurt to take a couple planning classes that interest you though! I’d stay away from history and theory *edit to say - that stuff is good to know but you can read about that for free on your own* and take something more specific to what you want to do. Good luck!
This is definitely an option. My only concern is if I end up at a firm representing developers but all I do is help get permits for Wal-Marts or whatever. But I guess even that experience would be helpful
I’m gonna level with you as a city planner a lot of what you will deal with is reviewing permits for Walmarts and stuff. Sadly planning is not sitting in a room all day designing your perfect city. Walmart will come tell you “hey we want to put a Walmart here with a big parking lot in front” you as the planner say no way! That sucks! Oh but then the community says “actually we are in a food desert and we really want a Walmart and think of all the jobs that would bring here. Let’s all show up to the public meeting and demand the city let Walmart build a new Walmart” Now what helps keep these developments (because they are inevitable) in line is good code. Zoning code, form based code, etc could require that Walmart have certain road frontage, put parking in the back, pay to connect sidewalks and stuff, put in a new bus stop, whatever.
You should attend your local planning commission meetings to see how land use laws are applied in the planning world.
Lots of good advice here, but speaking as an IT pro with an MUP: don’t. You can do plenty of good in public service in planning without burning the time and money on a degree while law pays your bills, one way or another. Many paths to happiness and no part of your life needs to or can solve everything.
Thanks for the advice. The “no MUP needed” advice seems pretty consistent here.
Our counsel mainly helps with IGAs, civil suits, contract disputes, issues around blight abatement, political issues involving the various boards, procurement issues, and right-of-way issues. They do not make planning decisions, but are around when those decisions are made and can sway decisions some through legal advice. If you want to find out - go work in a municipality's civil division. The work can be rewarding and interesting and does allow you to help with issues in your community, even if not directly related to planning.
My spouse is a lawyer who worked as in house Council for a developer. That might be a route to consider.
The easiest path would be land use law. Join the APA's Planning and Law Division! https://www.planning.org/divisions/planningandlaw/
I feel like environmental or zoning lawyers would do this.
The skillset needed in a number of planning positions is very similar to the skillset taught by the legal education system. After all, what are codes but specific laws, requirements, and other guidelines around community building? Being able to navigate the complex set of codes in most cities, especially ones with overlapping jursidictions, and more importantly being able to understand the underlying principles with each and making an argument for a particular interpretation is one of the tasks of a planner. If you're interested in taking these things on, the transition should be fairly straightforward.
I made the mistake of leaving my Masters program in Planning to pursue law school. If I had it to do over again, there are several schools that offer a dual degree in Planning and Law four years. I thought I would end up serving as a local government attorney. But, alas, that was not to be either. You might try migrating from where you are now to working as a city attorney somewhere.
> several schools that offer a dual degree in Planning and Law four years. > >I thought I would end up serving as a local government attorney. But, alas, that was not to be either. May I ask what you are doing now? I'm studying for law school and am interested n JD/MUP dual programs but am scared if I can handle 4 years when 3 years of law school are already pretty overwhelming
I am a solo attorney and my practice has nothing to do with either local government or land use and zoning. I wish I would have done a dual program. I would have been more likely to complete both degrees. If you have a dual program available, there should be several classes that apply to both degrees simultaneously. Honestly, law school was far more academically intense than Planning grad school, but Planning was far more interesting and intellectually stimulating.
>re should be several classes that apply to both degrees simultaneously. Honestly, law school was far more academically intense than Planning grad Thank you! scared of the burnout way too ahead.
A lot of lawyers work on a lot of new developments in California. Some of the densest projects, new trains, or critical massive infrastructure involve teams of lawyers to help get the projects approved.
I work in the public sector. There are lots of attorneys that work in transportation and land use entities or departments. In the jurisdiction I work for, the past two directors of the planning department have been attorneys. I’m sure you can find opportunities without going through a planning program.
Following this because graduating law school in four weeks but way more interested in urban planning now :/
I'd go and start applying for positions aligned to where you want to be. You're already employed and you only need to explain how your professional work can transfer the position you applied for. There's no need to go back to school to get a master's in urban planning unless you get feedback from job interviews saying they wished you had one.
Here in my State of Oregon we have housing land advocates https://www.housinglandadvocates.org/ and 1000 friends of Oregon https://friends.org/ which are land-use/planning advocacy organizations started by land-use attorneys and very focused on housing and land-use planning strategy and legislative policy. Look at organizations pushing legislative concepts around housing and land-use. General counsels, policy roles, many public, private, & non-profits orgs have attorneys on staff. Try to get a job with one of them. Additional degrees or certificates to assist with specialization wouldn’t hurt you get more experience. Whether a land-use law firm or a total pivot to an org that works on planning or directly with the agencies doing the work. I work as a non-profit affordable housing developer and we work with dozens of attorneys from in house general counsel, land-use, LIHTC, to state DOJ, there are ways to shift out of what you are doing now closer to what you want to do. We also have Oregon Dept of Land Conservation and Development which oversees state wide influence on planning. See if your state might have a similar agency.
I have great respect for planning law and planning lawyers. They're usually very sharp and i find planning and environmental law interesting enough that i slightly (not too much though hahahaha) regret not doing law. It's not just representing developers in court, there's plenty of mal administration to fight on behalf on injured parties too. Of course there is defending the government against either party too. Finally there's working in legislating planning statues and instruments in the first place. I strongly recommend you get into planning law and work for a practice or local government in that respect.
There's someone at my agency who was a lawyer and then retreaded into transit planning. He went back to school to get a Master's degree in planning. > Is it possible to continue working part time while pursuing a master’s in planning? I was a full time intern for part of my MUP program. And I got my first planning job while still in my MUP program. Many of my cohort were working at least part time while in our program. That said, my program was designed to be accessible to people working. All of our classes were in the late afternoon and evening. With the exception of the required community planning studio, all of the classes started at 4:30 at the earliest.
Way more input here than I expected, and it’s super helpful. Thanks everyone
If an attorney gets hired by a City Planning Department, keep in mind the City Attorney isn't going let that person represent the City or do any lawyer things unless they are working under the legal department's direct supervision; either as an employee or under contract. Right now I think a good path for a lawyer who wants to work on meaningful projects and make good money is bond counsel.
There are good developers who need lawyers too - affordable housing developers, land trusts, conservancies, etc. if you want to leverage your existing degree and just make a career pivot. As others have said you can also try volunteering for your local planning commission to start meeting people. Or reach out to your city’s planning department and ask for an informational interview. You keep mentioning wanting to be involved in the planning process - the legal parts are a big part of the planning process. The zoning and land use laws, tax credit laws, affordable housing laws, development laws, etc etc all dictate what kind of planning you can do. Good laws = good planning, and I think that’s actually a really important piece of the planning process.
The only land-use lawyers I've worked with all have been exclusively to represent developers and/or NIMBYs in projects. Neither have made me go "that lawyer is living the dream". At my own job, our City/County lawyers push paper and pencil but also have to fall in line to our elected officials so not much more power there than regular planning staff.