In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Cheryl-Lynne Davis and Teresa Jones share about Black Women in Energy and Environmental Law’s big successes and opportunities for growth.
Texas Lawbook: What are the biggest challenges facing women lawyers who practice environmental and energy law?
Cheryl-Lynne Davis: Like many areas of the law, the energy and environmental law practice area has been predominantly white and predominantly male. Further, the practice of law is very relationship driven. People who need legal services often seek recommendations and references from people they know. So, what tends to happen is that the same lawyers get the opportunities, unless an intentional effort is made to promote and involve others who typically do not have the same relationships or connections. Exacerbating the problem is that, at least in most law firm settings, lawyers are evaluated based on their own billable hours and client development which can create a more self-centered approach to work. In-house, the evaluation of performance and determination of promotions also can tend to be individually focused which serves to dissuade sharing of work and acknowledgement of other’s input and capabilities. Social science has determined that people generally are more likely to seek out others who are like them, including ethnicity and gender. Taken together, a situation is created that can exclude women and particularly women of color, from opportunities to enter, develop and grow their careers in this field.
Teresa Jones: I think the biggest challenge facing women lawyers who practice environmental and energy law is visibility. I can’t tell you how many times my legal peers in other practices ask “So … what do you do exactly?” As environmental attorneys, we often operate behind the scenes — handling compliance, managing risk and responding to crises. The work is high stakes, but it’s not always spotlighted.
Lawbook: What have been BWEL’s biggest successes so far?
Jones: Our biggest success is formalizing this community. We’ve built something that people want to be part of and that they are proud to share with others. From quarterly meetings and in-house counsel panels to forming strategic partnerships, we’ve moved from concept to impact. Receiving the Houston Corporate Counsel Award feels like an affirmation that we’re doing something right — and necessary.
Davis: The biggest successes have been (1) the growth in membership locally, (2) membership interest from outside of Texas, (3) law student involvement, (4) support of law firms and businesses and (5) upcoming representation at the National Bar Association annual conference. What started as a fledgling idea has turned into a viable, effective, professional legal organization.
Lawbook: What is ahead for BWEL? Any thoughts of expanding to other metros?
Davis: We would be overjoyed if BWEL became a national organization with chapters in other cities and states. Another idea is to perhaps become more closely affiliated with an existing national organization with a similar mission, like the National Bar Association or Corporate Counsel Women of Color. I would like to create and maintain a scholarship program for law students as well as to be a catalyst for companies to expand in-house summer opportunities for law students. We also are considering how best we can support the Black Law Student Association at various law schools within Texas.
Jones: We’ve started exploring expansion already. We get emails and messages from women in other cities and states asking how they can replicate the BWEL model in their cities. Our goal is to foster a network of connected hubs. Each city may have its own flavor, but the core values — community, mentorship and empowerment — will remain the same.
Lawbook: What has surprised you the most?
Jones: For me, the first surprise was discovering how many Black women are thriving in senior legal roles at major global companies. I was inspired to meet the women who’ve been practicing environmental law for decades — many of them carving their own paths without a roadmap. The other surprise was just how strong the appetite was for a space like this. We expected maybe a handful of women to show up to that first happy hour. Instead, nearly everyone invited came — and our membership has only grown since.
Click here for the profile on Davis, Jones, and the Black Women in Energy and Environmental Law.