Join us as we reflect on the remarkable contributions of one of BASF’s outstanding attorneys Jim Arnold. He is a fearless leader whose dedication, active engagement, and lasting impact have helped strengthen the environmental law practice community. Through leadership, collaboration, and a deep commitment to fostering meaningful connections, this reflection celebrates a career defined by service, mentorship, and the power of community.
Reflections by Jim Arnold, The Arnold Law Practice
- Why did you choose to pursue law?
An opportunity to figure out things I was interested in. Environment, US and international history, and government. And, to make a living. In college, I worked in the college library and cafeteria, in a bank as a Friday “relief teller,” a cowboy steak cook, a property manager, and a telephone installer. The why or why not of how things get done was important. I was encouraged to write (my college required a thesis to graduate).
- Why is practicing law meaningful or important today?
Practicing law is a lot more than a job. At UC Law San Francisco I managed a 40 unit apartment house, worked summers as a customs inspector at LAX, did court filings and serving subpoenas for a personal injury defense law firm, etc. I graduated college in 1968, the year of the MLK and RFK, Jr. assassinations. The world of law – particularly in San Francisco – was simply fascinating. It still is, after practicing for a few years. What we do makes a difference, hopefully in a positive way.
- How has the legal profession changed since you graduated?
Being an attorney has never been easy. Some locations, such as San Francisco, Sun Valley (Idaho), etc., have an oversupply of lawyers. As far as change, I don’t think the fundamentals of law and the legal profession has changed in any dramatic way. I worked for an appeals board at the US Department of the Interior, at the US Justice Department in the Environment & Natural Resources Division, the US Attorney for the Central District of California (Los Angeles), a mining and natural resources company, an international law firm, a national law firm, and a regional firm. After 20 years, I started my own practice. Recessions were hard, but helping found both the Los Angeles and San Francisco bars’ environmental law section was a lot of fun.
- Looking back, what would you do differently? What advice remains timeless for any law student?
One guidance: Anyone who hires you has to prove to someone somewhere why they hired you. In other words, we never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Another principle. Keep up to date with the law, and what is important to those you represent and for society as a whole.
Advice. Get government experience, get litigation experience, get mediation experience. Teach the law. Write and speak to enable folks to understand how the law works.
- What are your “tips of the trade” for aspiring attorneys?
Be a lawyer first and foremost (and keep your private life private).
- Why should students consider joining a local bar association?
If you intend to be a law professional, engage with bar associations and other venues. There is a saying that one is known by the company they keep.
- What aspect of your practice do you find most valuable or rewarding today?
It has been a privilege to practice law over the years. Of course, it is a blessing and a curse to “live in interesting times.”
- What are your thoughts on AI and emerging technology, and how do you see them impacting the legal profession over the next 10 years?
Change is constant.