Lawyers are on the cutting edge

A version of this story first appeared in the Raise the Bar newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free by clicking here.

By Joanna Brenner | Raise the Bar

Lawyers are regularly breaking ground on AI and tech regulations to keep pace with advances, according to Jacqueline Hyatt, associate attorney at Holland & Hart in Colorado. Hyatt has been working in energy and natural resource law for five of her seven years in law and sat down with Raise the Bar to talk about the complexities of the oil and gas industry, common misconceptions about “change” in the legal field and how Hollywood portrays land-use lawyers. –Joanna Brenner

Why did you choose energy and natural resource law? What interests you most about it? 
I chose to specialize in energy and natural resource law because I like to untangle challenging knots, and the oil and gas industry involves complex economic, environmental, governmental and cultural issues. I enjoy helping solve competing interests of global businesses, landowners, government entities and environmental NGOs, and—of course—helping my clients prevail over other competing interests.

When you're working with clients, what is one of your most effective strategies for helping them settle?
Developing a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of each claim or defense is critical to resolving litigation matters in a way that maximizes the benefits for my clients. On top of that, I work to understand what each party wants and what their motivations are in pursuing litigation. When clients have a clear view of their case, sometimes they discover that they can achieve most of their goals through settlement without risking potential downsides of trial.  

What do you think is the most common misconception about lawyers? Why do you think the legal field is perceived this way?
A common misconception about lawyers is that they are slow to change. The legal field is probably perceived this way because the law looks a lot like it did 50 years ago. Contrary to this common misconception, lawyers are on the cutting edge of many aspects of business and technology. For example, as AI proliferates and America's demand for electricity to power data centers grows exponentially, lawyers are at the forefront of navigating complex permitting landscapes, regulatory actions and transactions to make sure businesses and infrastructure keep pace with these advances. 

How do you feel about the portrayal of lawyers in Hollywood? I'm thinking about shows like Suits, Law & Order and, in the case of land use, Yellowstone.
Before becoming a lawyer, I worked as a petroleum landman in the Permian Basin. Taylor Sheridan's latest show, Landman, is about a landman who works in the Permian Basin, an oil and gas rich area situated in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. At first, I couldn't believe Hollywood took an interest in life in the oil patch, but then I realized Landman is just a modern twist on the American Western genre.

The legal aspects of the show are not the most accurate portrayals of what a law practice looks like in the oil patch, but the writing in the rest of the script is fairly accurate. I especially appreciated that they included realistic storylines about building roads with caliche and dealing with ranchers who are “all hat and no cattle.” I’m thrilled to see Hollywood featuring the lives of the men and women in the Permian Basin, even if it includes some unrealistic and occasionally cringeworthy depictions of lawyers.

Thank you for reading Raise The Bar.

Every Thursday, you'll hear from our team about the most pressing issues facing legal practices today. We'll also try to include some quick-hit reads that touch on interesting cases and precedents being set worldwide. 

Have anything you'd like us to cover? Send an email raisethebar@mynewsletter.co

Edited by Bianca Prieto