Ignitis Group is strengthening cooperation with young lawyers and aims to lay a solid foundation for the future of energy law
The energy sector is developing at a rapid rate and opens up more and more opportunities for specialists from various disciplines, not only engineering and technology experts but many other professionals as well. Lawyers are definitely among them, and the energy sector sees an increasing demand for legal resources. A renewables-focused integrated utility, Ignitis Group, is aiming to introduce young lawyers to the energy sector and continues to cooperate with the Lithuanian group of European Law Student Association, ELSA Lietuva. Ignitis Group invited the representatives of ELSA Lietuva to visit Vilnius CHP on 21 November and learn about the energy sector, energy transition and application of sustainable practices.
“Even though we often look to the energy sector trough a technical and engineering lens, in reality, many other functions play an important role in the sector. Undoubtedly, one of them is legal. Legal regulation is the foundation for the ongoing green energy transition in Europe and is being followed in pursuit of climate goals. By developing and improving the legal environment, the energy law practices and ensuring that the activities of energy companies comply with regulations, lawyers are heavily contributing to the growth and advancement of the sector and are a catalyst for further sustainable changes in the economy and the public,” said Adelė Gurevičienė, Head of Group Legal at Ignitis Group.
During the tour of Vilnius CHP, the young lawyers were observing the power plant’s operations up close and learning about related legal aspects. The representatives of Ignitis Group also talked with the young lawyers about the challenges of the energy sector and the role of legal specialists in tackling them.
Igitis Group together with ELSA Lietuva already have launched several joint initiatives – in May they organised a conference dedicated to the energy law called “Energy: legal challenges and opportunities”. At the conference, the current and future lawyers could hear about the relevant topics in the energy sector, the role of a lawyer in the electricity grid synchronisation with the continental European network and chat with the professionals who were sharing their experience and insights in the energy law.
This year Ignitis Group also participated in a traditional event organised by ELSA Lietuva called “ELSA Fest”, where current and future lawyers were introduced to the job specifics of an in-house lawyer as well as the opportunities available in the energy sector.
“We are strengthening the cooperation with the lawyer community because it’s essential for the successful development of the energy sector. This year we were invited to participate in the career days at Mykolas Romeris University. We are also planning to cooperate with other higher education institutions developing legal specialists. We are excited to see an increase in the number of lawyers who are showing an interest in the energy sector. Young colleagues are starting to show an interest in energy trends, legal challenges, while purposeful work, national energy independence and tackling climate challenges are important to them. We are open, we are talking and sharing details about the energy sector.
We are planning to meet the next year with a paid internship programme, where we will invite several lawyers-interns, who will be able to experience the sector up close and gain experience in the energy law. We are deploying these initiatives to improve and develop the competences necessary for the energy sector,” told A. Gurevičienė.
