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9684 Career Guide

Marine Corps

9684: Environmental Law Attorney

Career transition guide for Marine Corps Environmental Law Attorney (9684)

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Tech Roles You Could Aim For

Real industry tech roles your 9684 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.

Governance, Risk & Compliance Analyst

Security

SOC 15-1212
High match

Your background in environmental law and compliance directly translates to Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) roles. Your experience with regulations like the Clean Water Act and NEPA, combined with your expertise in procedural compliance, prepares you to excel in ensuring an organization adheres to legal and regulatory requirements, managing risk, and maintaining compliant systems.

Typical stack:

Frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2)Risk-assessment methodologyAudit evidence collectionPolicy writingStakeholder communication

Security Engineer

Security

SOC 15-1212
Moderate match

Your adversarial thinking and understanding of complex systems are valuable in security engineering. Your experience in identifying and mitigating environmental risks can be applied to identifying and mitigating cybersecurity risks. While you'll need to learn the technical aspects of cybersecurity, your analytical and problem-solving skills provide a solid foundation.

Typical stack:

Networking and OS internalsCryptography fundamentalsThreat modelingCloud security (IAM, VPC)Code review for security

Data Analyst

Data

SOC 15-2051
Moderate match

Your expertise in environmental compliance and permitting, along with your experience using tools like ERNS and HAZMAT Tracking Systems, translates to data analysis roles. Your system modeling skills, combined with your ability to optimize resources, prepare you to analyze and interpret complex data sets. Learning data analysis tools will enable you to apply your existing skills to data-driven decision-making.

Typical stack:

SQLExcel / Sheets at expert levelOne BI tool (Tableau, Power BI, Looker)Statistics fundamentalsStakeholder communication

Computer Systems Analyst

Customer / Field

SOC 15-1211
Good match

Your experience in environmental law and compliance, along with your ability to understand and implement complex regulations, translates well to the role of a Computer Systems Analyst. You're skilled at assessing how systems function and how changes in conditions or procedures affect outcomes. Your background gives you a solid base for understanding and improving computer systems.

Typical stack:

Software systems literacyProcess mappingRequirements gatheringSQLStakeholder communication

Skills You Already Have

Concrete bridges from 9684 experience to tech-industry practice.

  • Environmental Statutes and RegulationsUnderstanding of legal and regulatory frameworks applicable to software and data
  • Procedural ComplianceAdhering to coding standards, security protocols, and compliance requirements in software development
  • Adversarial ThinkingIdentifying vulnerabilities and potential risks in systems and processes
  • System ModelingUnderstanding system interactions and dependencies
  • Experience with tools like ERNS, HAZMAT Tracking System, RCRA complianceComfortable using software tools for data tracking and analysis

Skills to Learn

The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not generic.

Cybersecurity fundamentalsCloud security basicsRisk management frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001)SIEM tools (e.g., Splunk, QRadar)Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing basicsPython scripting for security automationSQL for data queryingData visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)Statistical analysis basicsFundamentals of computer systems and networksBasic programming concepts (e.g., Python)Database management basics

How VWC fits

Vets Who Code accelerates the parts we teach — software engineering fundamentals, web development, AI tooling. For everything else above, the path is doable independently with the resources we link to.

See VWC Programs

Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 9684 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Environmental Lawyer

$145K
High matchHigh demand

Environmental Consultant

$85K
Good matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Project Management Professional (PMP) certificationSpecific environmental regulations expertise (e.g., CERCLA, RCRA)

Land Use Planner

$78K
Good matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certificationGeographic Information Systems (GIS) proficiency

Compliance Officer (Environmental Regulations)

$75K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP) certificationIndustry-specific environmental regulations knowledge

Sustainability Manager

$90K
Moderate matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Sustainability reporting standards (e.g., GRI, SASB)LEED accreditationCorporate sustainability strategy development

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 9684 training built — and where they transfer.

Procedural Compliance

Environmental law masters must meticulously adhere to complex environmental regulations and legal procedures to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.

Your expertise in adhering to complex procedures and regulations translates to any role requiring strict compliance, such as regulatory affairs, quality assurance, or risk management.

Adversarial Thinking

Environmental law often involves navigating adversarial situations such as litigation, negotiations with opposing parties, and challenging regulatory interpretations.

Your experience in adversarial thinking prepares you to excel in roles that require negotiation, conflict resolution, and strategic problem-solving, such as contract negotiation, dispute resolution, or competitive intelligence.

System Modeling

Environmental law masters must understand and model complex environmental systems and processes to assess the impact of proposed actions and develop effective mitigation strategies.

Your understanding of complex systems and their interactions equips you for roles that involve analyzing and modeling complex scenarios, such as supply chain management, logistics optimization, or financial modeling.

Resource Optimization

Masters of environmental law often must optimize the use of resources while addressing environmental concerns. This might involve balancing economic development with environmental protection.

Your ability to balance competing priorities and optimize resource allocation is valuable in roles requiring strategic decision-making and resource management, like project management, operations management, or consulting.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Sustainability Consultant

SOC 13-1111

You've been trained to interpret and apply environmental law and regulations. This experience perfectly positions you to advise businesses on sustainable practices and compliance, translating your legal expertise into actionable strategies for corporate responsibility.

Land Use Planner

SOC 19-3051

You've mastered the intricacies of land use law. Now, you can leverage that expertise to shape community development, ensuring projects comply with environmental regulations and promote sustainable land management.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager

SOC 11-2011

You've developed a strong understanding of environmental law and compliance. This makes you uniquely qualified to lead CSR initiatives within a company, ensuring ethical and sustainable business practices that align with environmental regulations and promote positive social impact.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Naval Justice School, Newport, RI and Continuing Legal Education

240 training hours6 weeksVaries based on specific Naval Justice School courses and additional qualifications; typically 3-6 graduate-level semester hours.

Topics Covered

  • Environmental Statutes and Regulations (Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act)
  • Land Use Law and Real Estate
  • Environmental Compliance and Permitting
  • Natural Resources Law
  • Administrative Law and Procedure
  • Military Environmental Policy and Regulations
  • Contract Law
  • International Environmental Law

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

Certified Environmental Professional (CEP)60% covered

The 9684 military job code provides a strong foundation in environmental law. Gaps for the CEP include specific regulatory knowledge (e.g., Clean Water Act permitting), practical experience in environmental site assessments, and potentially some aspects of environmental management systems.

Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC)40% covered

While environmental law provides a good background, the CPESC requires specific engineering knowledge related to erosion control principles, stormwater management practices, and construction site management. Training on design and implementation of erosion control measures will be needed.

Recommended Next Certifications

LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional)Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP)

Technical Systems Translation

Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Marine Corps Order P5090.2A (Environmental Compliance and Protection Manual)EPA Regulations, OSHA regulations, ISO 14000 series (Environmental Management Systems)
NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Compliance ToolsEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) software, Environmental Compliance Software
ERNS (Environmental Resources Network System)Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software for environmental mapping and analysis
HAZMAT Tracking SystemSDS (Safety Data Sheet) management software, Chemical Inventory Management Systems
RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Compliance ToolsWaste management software, Hazardous waste tracking systems
Clean Water Act Compliance ToolsWater quality monitoring equipment and software, NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit management systems

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